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UNC Athletics: AD Bubba Cunningham gets contract extension

By Zack Pearson

CHAPEL HILL, NC - SEPTEMBER 09: The against the North Carolina Tar Heels prepare to take the field for a game against the Louisville Cardinals during at Kenan Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - SEPTEMBER 09: The against the North Carolina Tar Heels prepare to take the field for a game against the Louisville Cardinals during at Kenan Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham gets a new contract extension

The University of North Carolina announced some big news on Friday morning as Chancellor Carol L. Folt announced that Athletic Director Lawrence R. (Bubba) Cunningham has signed a new extension with the school.

Cunningham signed a six-year contract extension, running through June 30, 2023. The new contract was approved by Carolina’s Board of Trustees and is worth a base salary of $740,440.

Cunningham took over the position in 2011 and has brought a lot to the university. During his tenure Cunningham has created the “Rammy Awards” which honor the student athletes for the previous athletics season.

The awards have become a big hit at the school.

Cunningham has established a degree completion program for those who left school before graduation. The school has seen a rise in grade point averages and Academic Progress Rates as student-athletes at UNC have posted a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in the last two years.

Folt released a statement via a press release about Cunningham’s extension:

"“I deeply appreciate Bubba’s commitment, day-in and day-out, to our student-athletes, coaches and university,” Folt said. “He is a key member of my executive team, and his dedication to the student-athlete experience, both on and off the field, is just one example of why he is such an important leader in the field of college athletics and student success both at Carolina and in the United States.”"

The school has seen numerous improvements to athletic facilities on campus.

A big renovation plan is currently underway which includes a new soccer/lacrosse stadium, track and field complex, a new football practice facility and a new field hockey stadium.

Improvements to the Carolina Basketball Museum have also been made.

The Tar Heels have finished 8th or better in the Director’s Cup five times in Cunningham’s tenure, just showing the excellence of UNC athletics. Now with another extension, expect the Tar Heels to continue that trend.

Cunningham’s work also includes being on the ACC television committee, the president of the  National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and a board member of LEAD1.

Check back for more on UNC athletics as a whole and what this will mean for the future of the University.

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