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Davis, Ole Miss agree to new deal after success

Mississippi head coach Kermit Davis yells to his players in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Alabama at the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Alabama won 62-57. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

OXFORD, Miss. — Kermit Davis has earned a new contract after leading Mississippi on a surprising run to the NCAA Tournament.

The school announced on Tuesday that it had agreed in principle to a new deal with Davis that would last four years, which is the longest allowed by state law. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

Davis originally signed a four-year contract that paid a base salary of $2.5 million annually when he was hired in 2018.

Ole Miss was picked to finish last in the Southeastern Conference this season, but the 59-year-old Davis helped the program far exceed those expectations. The Rebels have a 20-12 record and earned the No. 8 seed in the South Region where they’ll face No. 9 Oklahoma on Friday in Columbia, South Carolina.

Davis was recently named the SEC coach of the year .