Sugar Bowl Opponent News

Dec. 11, 2000

By EDDIE PELLS
AP Sports Writer

Florida coach Steve Spurrier has signed a four-year contract extensionthatwill pay him $2.1 million per year through 2006.

The signing cements a deal Spurrier agreed to in principle last month,athletic director Jeremy Foley said Sunday.

The extension, which Spurrier signed last week, has no significantchangesfrom the original contract. It still includes terms that allow Spurrier toleave without cause between Dec. 1 and Jan. 2 of each year, meaning he canstill field offers from the Washington Redskins.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder fired coach Norv Turner last week and broughtonformer college coach Pepper Rodgers to lead the search for a replacement.

Spurrier has acknowledged talking to Rodgers, and said there’s “a very,very, very remote, slim chance” he might accept the Redskins job.

“You always keep a little crack open,” he said. “But the odds are veryslim. I’d be foolish to leave here with what we have coming back nextseason.I’ve got it made.”

Last weekend, Spurrier won his sixth Southeastern Conference title astheNo. 7 Gators earned a trip to the Sugar Bowl, where they’ll face No. 2 MiamionJan. 2. The core of the team is returning next year and some experts arealready calling Florida a prime national title contender for 2001.

Spurrier’s latest deal is an extension of the six-year contract hesigned in1997, after leading the Gators to their first national championship.

He is currently in the fourth year of the original deal. That contractescalated his salary to $2.1 million in the final two seasons. The extensioncalls for him to make $2.1 for the four years added on, too.

About half the salary will be paid by Florida’s apparel deal with Nike.

Some reports say Snyder might offer his next head coach up to $4million aseason. Spurrier has said money isn’t the most important thing to him,lifestyle is, and he clearly likes Gainesville.

Still, he has always hinted that an NFL job could appeal to him oneday. Hecame close to signing a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995,sayingit was a job that always intrigued him.