MILWAUKEE, April 23 (UPI) -- Marquette has signed men's basketball coach Tom Crean to a new multi-year contract, ending speculation that he would jump to fill the post at Illinois.
Crean owns an 83-41 mark over four seasons with Marquette, which he took to its first Final Four since 1977 this past season. The Golden Eagles went 27-6, and lost to Kansas in the national semifinals.
"I feel very comfortable and confident with the people I work with and for everyday," Crean said. "I feel like I have real great friendships and relationships with the people here. The ownership of this university has transformed. All I look at is the ownership of the program is growing and growing, the people are just getting behind it. It is a great feeling."
Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
"It is a long-term contract, it is more than generous," Crean said. "It is something that I could have never imagined. To work here in this community is a great, great feeling. We just agreed on it and we wanted to get something done. Marquette has a policy to not discuss the length. I'm very happy with it and they are too, so we'll go from there."
Crean, who was an assistant at Western Kentucky and Michigan State before coming to Marquette, did not comment on whether he was contacted by Illinois about the opening.
He was rumored to be the leading choice to take over at Illinois because of his success in recruiting the Chicago area with Marquette. The Fighting Illini will now turn to other candidates, which could include Ernie Kent of Oregon, Southern Illinois Coach Bruce Weber, and former Chicago Bulls coach Tim Floyd.
