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Nebraska giving coach Tim Miles one-year contract extension

Nebraska v Michigan State

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 3: Head coach Tim Miles of the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the game against the Michigan State Spartansat Breslin Center on December 3, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska coach Tim Miles has been given a one-year contract extension through 2020-21 after leading the Cornhuskers to their most conference wins in a season.

The Huskers were 22-11 and played in the National Invitation Tournament. Their 13-5 record in Big Ten play was good for fourth place, tied with national runner-up Michigan.

“That type of performance certainly merits an extension of Tim’s contract as the leader of our men’s basketball program,” athletic director Bill Moos announced Tuesday. “I have been very impressed with the energy and passion Tim provides ... as well as his commitment to his staff and the young men on our team.”

Miles is 97-97 with one NCAA Tournament appearance in six years after coming to Nebraska from Colorado State.

“We have great young guys in our program,” Miles said. “Our spring workouts are going well, and we are excited for next season. As this past season showed, we are building in the right direction.”

Miles is set to earn $2.375 million in 2018-19 and $2.5 million in 2019-20. No salary was announced for 2020-21.

Under Miles, the Huskers have had high player turnover due to transfers, and last week he lost one of his top assistants in Kenya Hunter, who left to take an assistant’s job at Connecticut under new coach Dan Hurley. That prompted Xavier Johnson, the top prospect in Nebraska’s 2018 recruiting class, to ask for a release from his letter of intent.

The Huskers went into 2017-18 off three straight losing seasons and finishes of no higher than 11th in the Big Ten. Former athletic director Shawn Eichorst chose not to extend Miles’ contract after each of the last two seasons.

The Huskers beat Michigan by 20 points in Lincoln in January but lost by 19 to the Wolverines in the Big Ten Tournament. The Huskers were 16-1 at home, with the only loss by 1 point to Kansas, which also went to the Final Four.

The NCAA selection committee didn’t deem the Huskers’ resume strong enough for an at-large bid. They went to the NIT and lost at Mississippi State in the first round.

Nebraska is the only school from a power conference that has never won an NCAA Tournament game, and the last time the Huskers claimed even a share of a regular-season conference title was in 1949-50.