Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Margenthaler receives contract extension

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Ty Margenthaler likes the direction his program is heading in.

University administrators apparently feel the same way.

Southeast announced Tuesday that Margenthaler signed a one-year contract extension through the 2015-16 season, which would mark his fifth at Southeast. He originally signed a four-year contract in 2011.

Margenthaler cited Southeast director of athletics Mark Alnutt and president Ken Dobbins "for their show of support. I'm really excited about it. It's a vote of confidence. It's exciting for the staff and the program."

Margenthaler, in his second season of a rebuilding process after taking over a floundering program, led the Redhawks to their best overall and conference records since the 2008-09 season.

Southeast finished 11-18 overall and 5-11 in the Ohio Valley Conference, which tied the Redhawks for ninth place among 12 squads. They were picked to finish last.

"Our women's basketball program is heading in the right direction under the leadership of coach Margenthaler," Alnutt said in a release. "We have shown competitive improvement the last two years and we continue to recruit student-athletes that understand what it takes to be successful both on and off the court. I am even more pleased with how the team is performing in the classroom, as demonstrated by an impressive team GPA above 3.5."

Margenthaler said he is proud of not only the Redhawks' on-court improvement but also the strides they have made off the court.

"I feel we've made a lot of progress. I'm glad the university sees that," Margenthaler said. "I appreciate that they know the program is in good hands, not only on the court, but the academics, the things we've done in the community.

"I'm excited about the direction this program is headed. We've made really good strides the last two seasons and the future is bright. I feel really confident and really good about what we're doing. I know what our ultimate goals are and I think we'll get there."