THIBODUX, La. – Nicholls State University men’s basketball head coach Austin Claunch has agreed to a contract extension, Athletics Director Jonathan Terrell announced Monday.
Pending approval of the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, the extension will add two years to Claunch’s current contract, securing the Houston native through the 2025-26 season.
As the second-youngest head coach in NCAA Division I men’s basketball, Claunch led Nicholls to its second consecutive outright Southland Conference regular season championship – a first in program history. The Colonels also made history in 2022 by playing in the National Invitational Tournament for the first time.
In his four seasons at the helm, Claunch has amassed a 74-46 overall record and a 47-21 mark in the Southland. After finishing near .500 in his inaugural season, the Colonels posted two 21-win seasons and won 18 games in the condensed 2020-21 campaign. Nicholls has dominated league competition during that span with 40 wins versus only 10 losses, resulting in SLC titles in 2021 and ’22. Claunch was named Southland Coach of the Year after leading the Colonels to the first of the back-to-back championships.
Also during the three-year stretch, eight different Colonels have garnered All-Southland. Highlighting the group is two-time All-SLC First Team selection Ty Gordon, who became just the second player in team history to be named Southland Player of the Year.
Claunch has built Nicholls into a championship program by bringing in new talent each season and blending them with veterans. In addition to outstanding transfers like Gordon, the Colonels just graduated one of the all-time shot blockers of the program Ryghe Lyons, who spent five seasons with the Red and Gray.
{Courtesy: Nicholls Athletics}
