The Arizona Board of Regents approved a new three-year contract extension through 2013 for UA head football coach Mike Stoops during their meeting on Thursday in the Student Union Memorial Center.

Under the new contract, Stoops, 47, will make $1 million in 2009, $1.1 million in 2010, $1.2 million in 2011, $1.3 million in 2012 and $1.4 million in 2013.

UA President Robert Shelton said the extension was merited based on the improvement the team has shown both on the field and in the classroom.

“”When (Stoops) came on board, this program was pretty miserable. Not just in win/loss, but in retention of students, graduation of students, recruiting the right kinds of kids here and football is a big, complicated sport and he has really turned that around,”” Shelton said following the meeting.

Shelton said this contract, in connection with the recent multi-year deal signed by new men’s basketball head coach Sean Miller, signifies that Arizona sports are moving in the right direction.

“”I am sky high on Arizona athletics. I think we’re doing great. We have exciting new coaches in some of the most visible sports,”” Shelton said. “”We have great ongoing coaches in some of our highly visible programs: softball, baseball and swimming.””

The contract contains a $250,000 buyout should Stoops decide to leave the Wildcats’ program. If he is fired before the contract expires, the university will owe him half of the money remaining on the deal.

Stoops can also earn more money based on attendance benchmarks and performance incentives.

Stoops is entering his sixth year as the head coach of Wildcats and is coming off a season in which he lead the team to a victory in the Las Vegas Bowl, their first bowl victory since they defeated Nebraska in the 1998 Holiday Bowl.

In his five seasons at Arizona, Stoops has recorded 24 wins and 33 losses. The 2008 season marked the first year that the team finished with a winning percentage under Stoops.

The contract Stoops signed in 2003 and renewed in 2006 was set to expire after the 2010 season. Under that deal, he made roughly $685,000 per-year.

Stoops was out of the office on Thursday and could not be reached for comment.