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Byington inks contract extension
GSUEagle

STATESBORO — Georgia Southern men’s basketball head coach Mark Byington has been given a four-year contract extension through the 2018-19 season following the Eagles’ runner-up finish in the Sun Belt regular season and a trip to the Sun Belt Championship Game, according to gseagles.com.
The 2014-15 Eagles went 22-9 in Byington’s second season and posted the program’s first 20-win season since the 2005-06 campaign. The season featured a 14-6 league record, the No. 2 seed for the Sun Belt Tournament and reached the championship game.
“We are very happy to sign coach Byington to a multi-year extension,” Athletics Director Tom Kleinlein said. “The performance of his team on the court as well as in the classroom is a great illustration of what we expect to see from all our programs. Mark and his assistants are doing a wonderful job of bringing back the winning tradition to Georgia Southern basketball. I look forward to watching this team on their journey toward a Sun Belt championship.”
Under Byington’s direction, Georgia Southern men’s basketball has set new grade-point-average records over the last two semesters and graduated every senior since he was hired April 1, 2013. The Eagles have continued to improve according to the NCAA Academic Progress Rate formula, posting a 958 single-year score and improving the four-year score to 940.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given to be the head basketball coach here at Georgia Southern,” Byington said “I want to publicly thank university President Dr. Brooks Keel and Director of Athletics Tom Kleinlein for their support and commitment to build Eagle basketball. The Georgia Southern community has been great to my family, and we are very happy here.”


I am very excited about the direction our program is heading and look forward to competing for championships in the Sun Belt.”

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