April 1, 2003

MILWAUKEE - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl has signed a contract extension through the 2007-2008 season, the University announced today.

Pearl, the two-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, led UWM to 24 wins and its first NCAA Division I Tournament berth this past season. After coming from the University of Southern Indiana two years ago, Pearl has won 40 games and led the Panthers to the 2003 Horizon League Tournament Championship.

Pearl's second season was capped off by a series of memorable moments for UWM. Nearly 18,000 fans attended two Horizon League Tournament games involving the Panthers at the U.S. Cellular Arena, including a school-record 10,115 for the championship game win over Butler. Then the Panthers took Notre Dame to the wire in a first-round NCAA Tournament contest in Indianapolis before falling, 70-69.

"I expected this team to play well. What I didn't expect was for the enthusiastic support to be what it was," Pearl said. "Our charge now is to build on last season's success. We've all been granted a look at what it can be with the continued support of the students, the alumni and the city of Milwaukee. I'm excited to be a part of it."

"The extension of head coach Bruce Pearl's contract through 2008 will translate into continued success for UWM Panther Athletics," Director of Athletics Bud Haidet said. "He continues to be a perfect fit for UWM with his coaching and marketing expertise. He has brought attention and respect to the men's basketball program."

Pearl's efforts have led to a large increase in exposure and attention for the program. In addition to extensive local media coverage and UWM's first-ever appearances on national television, UWM has also been setting attendance records at the on-campus Klotsche Center. This season, a sellout crowd of more than 5,000 attended UWM's game with Butler and four of UWM's five biggest Klotsche Center crowds have come since Pearl was named head coach April 11, 2001.

On the court, UWM's 24 wins this season were the most in the school's Division I history and equaled the most in the program's 107-year history. The Panthers have won three of their five games against perennial Horizon League power Butler since Pearl took over as head coach and UWM has at least three wins over every league foe in Pearl's two seasons as head coach.

"This past season was one of the most rewarding I have ever had in 25 years of coaching because I enjoyed my players, my coaching staff and the people in the athletic department," Pearl said. "Now we will set out to make this a program that is going to compete for consideration in the national tournament on a regular basis."

Despite losing three starters and seven seniors to graduation, hopes remain high for the 2003-04 campaign. First-team All-Horizon League performer Dylan Page leads the group of returnees, which also includes four key players that sat out last season due to injury or NCAA transfer regulations. The group includes 2002 Horizon League All-Newcomer Team member Adrian Tigert, a starter as a true freshman at UWM; senior Kalombo Kadima, who has started 63 games in his career; junior James Wright, a starter for two years before injury sidelined him midway through the 2001-02 season; and Bradley transfer Joah Tucker from Glendale Nicolet High School. Also in the fold for next season is junior college transfer Ed McCants, rated as the second-best shooting guard nationally in the JC ranks by The Sporting News; and Andre White, a sharp-shooter from Zion-Benton High School in suburban Chicago ranked as one of the top 15 players in the state of Illinois. Also, starting center Nate Mielke returns along with reserves Rob Sanders and Mark Pancratz and redshirts Chris Hill and Gordy Zastrow.