Hatchell gets new six-year deal at North Carolina

Chapel Hill, NC (Basketball News) - Sylvia Hatchell led the North Carolina women’s basketball team to a second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference championship, a No. 1 final ranking and the Final Four last season. On Thursday, the school rewarded her with a new six-year contract, running through the 2010-11 season.

Hatchell has a remarkable 445-188 mark in 20 years at UNC and is 717-268 in 31 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, Hatchell is fourth in career wins among active coaches.

"I’ve loved the 20 years I’ve spent here and I take great pride in the success of the UNC women’s basketball program," Hatchell said. "Much of what we’ve accomplished has been on the court - we’re thrilled to have won the ACC the last two years and to have established ourselves as one of the nation’s top programs."

The base salary for Hatchell will rise to $250,000 starting this July and will extend to $260,000 in July 2007.

North Carolina has won an NCAA championship (1994) and six ACC titles during Hatchell’s tenure, which began in 1986. The Tar Heels had just two losses (33-2) all last season, but both of them were to their ACC rival, Maryland. The Terrapins beat UNC in overtime, 98-95, on February 9 at Chapel Hill, and then topped the Tar Heels, 81-70, at the Final Four.

"Sylvia continues to do an outstanding job in directing a basketball program that is among the best in the nation and has the full support of our University," UNC athletic director Dick Baddour said. "We talked about re- doing her contract prior to the season, but agreed to wait until after the year was completed to finalize the terms. She had an exciting team that performed so well all season. Sylvia has the energy and commitment to lead our program to many more successful seasons."