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Coach Greg McDermott agreed to a contract extension that’s likely to keep him at Creighton for many years, a source confirmed to The World-Herald on Wednesday. Multiple outlets reported the development Wednesday, as well.
The official announcement of the extension is expected as early as Thursday. The deal is likely to be at least four years, The World-Herald learned.
The extension will be the first major move for Athletic Director Marcus Blossom, who took over for Bruce Rasmussen this summer.
In late February, as the Bluejays steamed toward another NCAA tournament berth, the 57-year-old McDermott told The World-Herald he wanted Creighton to be “my last job” before retirement. “I hope we can figure out how to make that happen,” he said.
Blossom said he wanted McDermott to remain at CU, as well.
“If Mac wants to be here, we want him to be here,” Blossom said.
CU advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, pushing top-seeded Kansas to the final minute despite missing starters Ryan Nembhard and Ryan Kalkbrenner, both of whom sustained season-ending injuries. Both are expected to return in 2022-23, along with sophomores-to-be Arthur Kaluma and Trey Alexander.
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World-Herald sports editor Sam McKewon contributed to this report.
Photos: Greg McDermott through the years
After growing up in Cascade, Iowa, Greg McDermott went on to play at Northern Iowa from 1984-88, earning second-team all-conference honors as a junior.
After serving as an assistant at North Dakota, Greg McDermott got his first head coaching job at Wayne State in 1994. He won 116 games there in six years and led the Wildcats to four straight 20-win seasons.
Greg McDermott took over at his alma mater, Northern Iowa, in April 2001. He made three consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament from 2004-06.
Greg McDermott was introduced as Iowa State’s new coach in March 2006, but he struggled to find success in Ames. He left after four seasons with a losing overall record, no NCAA tournament appearances and no better than a seventh-place finish in the Big 12.
Greg McDermott inherited a Creighton roster in his first season that included experienced veterans like Kenny Lawson and Antoine Young, as well as a mix of talented young players like Grant Gibbs, Gregory Echenique and his son, Doug McDermott.
Greg McDermott led Creighton to a 23-16 overall record in his first season. The Bluejays played in the College Basketball Invitational and lost in the championship series to Oregon and former Bluejay coach Dana Altman.
In 2012, Greg McDermott won his first Missouri Valley tournament title with Creighton, defeating Illinois State by four in the championship game.
The 2011-12 season also featured Creighton’s first NCAA tournament victory in a decade. The No. 8-seeded Bluejays defeated Alabama in the first round before falling to North Carolina.
Creighton and Greg McDermott made it back-to-back conference tournament titles in 2013. The Bluejays also won the regular-season championship that season.
Greg McDermott led Creighton back to the NCAA tournament in 2013, this time as a No. 7 seed, and defeated Cincinnati in the opener before getting eliminated by Duke in the second round.
Greg McDermott helped steer Creighton into the Big East, and he made his coaching debut in the conference on Dec. 31, 2013, with a 67-49 victory over Marquette.
Greg McDermott had the opportunity to coach his son, Doug McDermott, for four seasons at Creighton. Doug was a three-time All-American under his father and won the national player of the year award in 2014.
Creighton’s third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament ended with another second-round loss. After defeating Louisiana-Lafayette in the opener, CU fell by 30 to Baylor, again falling short of the Sweet 16.
Creighton’s first season in the post-Doug McDermott era was a struggle, as the Bluejays limped to a 14-19 overall record — 4-14 in the Big East — under Greg McDermott in 2014-15.
Creighton saw improvement under Greg McDermott in 2015-16, finishing sixth in the Big East with a 9-9 record. The Bluejays made it to the NIT that season, losing to BYU in the quarterfinals.
Greg McDermott led Creighton to its best start in program history during the 2016-17 season. The Bluejays won their first 13 games and were ranked as high as No. 7 nationally before struggling down the stretch.
The late-season struggles continued for Greg McDermott and Creighton into the NCAA tournament. The No. 6-seeded Bluejays fell to Rhode Island in the first round, ending their once-promising season.
Greg McDermott was targeted by Ohio State for its head coaching vacancy, but on June 8, 2017, he announced that he was staying with the Bluejays.
Creighton coach Greg McDermott comforts Marcus Foster near the end of a 69-59 loss to Kansas State in the 2018 NCAA tournament. The loss was the Jays’ third straight in the NCAA tournament.
In 2019, Greg McDermott and the Jays reached the quarterfinals of the NIT after being picked to finish ninth in the Big East.
During the 2020 season, Greg McDermott reached 500 career wins. Creighton Athletic Director awarded McDermott a commemorative basketball for the achievement.
Greg McDermott led the Jays to their first Big East regular-season title in 2020, earning Big East coach of the year honors. Creighton was the top seed in the Big East tournament before the rest of the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Greg McDermott led Creighton to a pair of wins in the 2021 NCAA tournament, helping the Jays earn their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1974. CU fell short against Gonzaga in the round of 16, 83-65.
