Women's basketball coach Tracy Roller will remain a Cardinal with a rewarding bit of padding.
Instead of allowing Roller to flee the nest without contract renewal, Tom Collins, director of Intercollegiate Athletics, and she agreed on a deal that will keep players, fans and administrators proudly chirping for the next four seasons.
Roller's previous contract would have expired Saturday. On-campus sentiment favored the extension of her contract - Student Government Association even passed legislation recommending the university keep Roller on board.
The university listened to popular demand - and simple logic - and made the right choice in signing Roller on for another four years. The athletic department also gave Roller good reason to stay by increasing her yearly salary roughly 70 percent, making her one of the highest-paid coaches in the Mid-American Conference. As an added bonus, two assistant coaches have been resigned as well.
Roller has a laundry list of accomplishments at the university, including tying the best overall record in school history with a 24-7 performance this year, posting five winning records in the six years she's been here and holding the title of all-time winningest coach at Ball State.
Ball State's Strategic Plan for 2007-2012 calls for three MAC championships per year in various sports. Last year, the men's tennis team and the baseball team both claimed championships. So far this year, Roller's team has sole MAC championship honors.
If the university expects to meet the goal of three championships per year, keeping one of the best coaches in the MAC is a great start. Similar decisions for coaches in other sports need to continue if the goal is to be met, however.
Collins has had a long line of questionable decisions, from keeping football coach Brady Hoke in spite of his 13-30 overall record to firing women's volleyball coach Randy Litchfield in spite of his 15 winning seasons. With Roller's renewal, Collins and the athletic department are finally taking a step in the right direction.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
