Southwest Missouri State is happy with their basketball coaches and they made that happiness official yesterday by giving Barry Hinson and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson contract extensions on Wednesday. Hinson’s deal runs through the 2006-2007 season. Despite putting up records of 17-12 in 2002-2003 and 19-14 in 2003-2004, the Bears were denied bids to the NIT. Henderson’s recruiting class in 2003 is considered one of the best in school history and his 2004 class includes Logan-Rogersville’s Drew Richards, who was named Mr. Show-Me Basketball in 2004. Abrahamson-Henderson’s deal goes through 2007-2008. Both coaches will get a base salary of $120,000 and will get extra money for TV/radio deals (Hinson will get an extra $27,500 and Abrahamson-Henderson $30,000) Abrahamson-Henderson’s deal also has a retention clause. If she is still on staff on September 1, 2008, she’ll get an extra $50,000 and SMS will add another $50,000 if she’s the head coach on May 31, 2010. But if she breaks the contract, she’ll owe SMS $120,000. In her two seasons at SMS Abrahamson-Henderson has led the Lady Bears to consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Tournament crowns and subsequent trips to the NCAA Tournament. She was recently a finalist for the Auburn head-coaching job, but turned it down to stay at SMS.
