Gates, who signed a five-year coaching contract with CSU in 2019, has been extended by six years. He had been making a base salary of $285,000, plus a bevy of performance-based incentives. His new contract is likely to be much closer to $500,000 annually, which would be at or near the top of the Horizon League coaching salaries.
Retaining Gates was key for CSU and President Harland Sands. The men’s basketball program had been in shambles after the departure of longtime coach Gary Waters and the fraught two-year interlude with Dennis Felton at the helm. Gates has instilled a winning culture at the Wolstein Center and has pushed his players to be their best selves on and off the court. His success in the Horizon League had captured the interest of other Division 1 programs looking for new top coaching talent and Gates has been approached by other schools.
CSU President Harlan Sands and Director of Athletics Scott Garrett announced Gates’ extension at a press conference Thursday morning at the Wolstein Center.
“Dennis Gates embodies everything we stand for at CSU: “Engaged Learning,” teamwork and success in the classroom – all of which lead to success on the court and in life,” Sands said. “We are all excited about where he will take our program next.”
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This article appears in May 19 – Jun 1, 2021.
