Akron extends coach John Groce’s contract thru 2030 season
FILE - Akron head coach John Groce looks up from the bench during the first half of a first-round NCAA college basketball tournament game against UCLA, Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Portland, Ore. Akron extended coach John Groce’s contract through the 2029-30 season on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File)
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Following a trip to the NCAA Tournament, Akron has extended coach John Groce’s contract through the 2029-30 season.
Groce led the Zips to Mid-American Conference tournament title last season and the league’s automatic NCAA bid.
Groce’s previous deal was to expire after the 2026 season. Financial terms were not made available.
“He embodies Akron’s ongoing commitment to the total development of our student-athletes,” athletic director Charles Guthrie said Wednesday. “We are thankful to John and his family for all they’ve done over the past five seasons and we look forward to our program’s bright future under his leadership.”
Groce, who previously coached at Ohio and Illinois, has gone 94-59 since taking over Akron’s program in 2017. The Zips are 63-25 overall and 40-16 in MAC play over the past three seasons under Groce.
The 50-year-old Groce also led Ohio and Illinois to the NCAA Tournament.
This season, Akron won its final eight games, including a 20-point victory over rival Kent State in the MAC championship to earn its fifth NCAA berth. The Zips were a No. 13 seed and lost 57-53 in the first round to fourth-seeded UCLA.
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