Bone signs 7-year contract with Washington State

May 13, 2009 - 11:48 PM By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated Press Writer

SPOKANE, Wash(AP) -- New Washington State basketball coach Ken Bone signed a seven-year contract with starting pay of $650,000 per year, plus incentives.

The contract was released Wednesday after The Associated Press requested it under the state's open records laws.

Bone, who replaced Tony Bennett in April, will be paid a base salary of $200,000. Supplemental income will add $450,000 the first year, $550,000 the second and $650,000 the third. Additional raises would be negotiated after that, according to the contract.

The contract also includes various incentive payments tied to winning and academic performance by the players. They include $100,000 for a national championship, and $50,000 for getting one of the major coach of the year awards.

Bennett, who coached Washington State to the postseason in all three years he was there, took over at Virginia. He won numerous coach of the year awards after his first season at Washington State. Bennett was paid some $1 million a year when he left.

Bone, who took Portland State to consecutive NCAA tournaments and had a 77-49 record there over four seasons, also received a one-time payment of $74,000 to pay his buyout from Portland State.

His package also includes a country club membership, 14 tickets to each home game, tickets to Washington State football games and costs for bringing his wife on road trips.

If Bone leaves early, his buyout clause starts at $500,000, and drops to $300,000 in the final years.

Washington State is losing four seniors from a team that went 17-16 last season, including leading scorers Taylor Rochestie and Aron Baynes, as well as part-time starters Caleb Forrest and Daven Harmeling. Only two upperclassmen return next season along with Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto, who both were selected for the all-Pac-10 freshman team.