Seven UNC Coaches Receive New Contracts

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

That seems to be the mantra that the UNC Athletic Department is operating under, as it was announced Thursday that the school came to an agreement on brand new three-year deals for five of its head coaches and extended the contracts of two more.

The group receiving the multi-year deals consists of: Anson Dorrance (women’s soccer), Sam Paul (men’s tennis), Joe Breschi (men’s lacrosse), Carlos Somoano (men’s soccer) and Karen Shelton (field hockey).

Despite coming under fire during the school’s academic scandal, UNC women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell was rewarded with a two-year extension. (Elliot Rubin)

Believe it or not, it’s the first multi-year deal for each of the coaches listed above. All five of them now have agreements that run through the 2018-19 season.

Women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell and women’s lacrosse coach Jenny Levy each had their current contracts extended.

Hatchell’s deal is a two-year extension that runs through the 2019-20 season while Levy’s is a one-year extension lasting through the 2018-19 season.

The seven coaches have combined to win 34 national championships during their time at UNC–including 22 from Dorrance by himself.

“This is a remarkable group of head coaches – each of them has won a national championship and they have a combined 168 years directing their programs at Carolina,” UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. “We are excited and proud to sign these seven championship coaches to these multi-year contracts and extensions.

“We are fortunate to have such quality people directing our programs,” Cunningham continued. “They have provided consistent and outstanding leadership for many years, and that leadership has paid off successfully in competition, in the classroom and in their development of the young women and men they coach.”

Five of the seven coaches earning new deals have been at the university for over 20 years. Only Breschi (2009) and Somoano (2011) arrived in Chapel Hill during this century.

The UNC-CH Board of Trustees has approved the terms of the contracts.

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