LAS VEGAS, April 23 -- John Robinson, who turns 66 on July 25, on Monday signed a contract extension to remain the football coach at Nevada-Las Vegas through the 2005 season.
The new deal was approved last weekend by Nevada's State Board of Regents.
It includes an annual base salary of $150,000 and is worth a total of $500,000 per year.
"My goal is to keep John Robinson for life," UNLV president Dr. Carol C. Harter said. "If at the end of five years he wants to continue coaching, he can have a new contract."
Robinson, who is entering his third season, has sparked a revival of football at UNLV. The school was 0-11 the year before he arrived, and improved to 3-8 in 1999 and an 8-5 mark in 2000. Last season included a 31-14 win over Arkansas in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Robinson won a national championship at Southern California in 1978 and led the Los Angeles Rams to two NFC Championship games.
He has had two other stints as a college coach-both at USC. His first tenure with the Trojans was from 1976-82, when he went 67-14-2 and won three Rose Bowls, the last in 1979 when he was named National Coach of the Year. The Trojans shared the national championship with Alabama in 1978 and also had a 28-game unbeaten streak from 1978-80.
