YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State announced Wednesday that men’s basketball head coach Ethan Faulkner has agreed to and signed a contract extension after he continued to build on the program’s recent success in his first season this past year.
Faulkner’s new deal, which was signed at the beginning of this month, extends him by one year through the end of the 2029-30 season. The original five-year contract he signed when he was hired in April 2024 ran through the 2028-29 season.
It also increases his base annual salary from $275,000 to $280,500, according to documents obtained by the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator in a public records request.
“We are thrilled to give Ethan this contract extension,” YSU athletic director Ron Strollo said in a press release. “Coach Faulkner and his staff have worked tirelessly to continue the upward trajectory of our men’s basketball program. He has deservedly earned respect from our staff, university leaders, community and his peers in the coaching profession, and we are confident that he will continue to elevate our program.”
The structure of Faulkner’s bonus incentives remain the same as his original deal, but there are slight changes to his contract buyout.
If YSU fires Faulkner without cause anytime before the end of his new contract in April 2030, it would owe him the full amount remaining on his deal. Before, YSU only owed the full remaining buyout if he was terminated prior to April 30, 2026 and half of it if fired after that date.
Should Faulkner leave for any other job before March 1, 2026, he would owe YSU a buyout equivalent to the full amount remaining on his contract. If he accepts another position at a Horizon League, MAC, MVC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC or ACC school after that date, he would also owe the full buyout. But if he leaves for another school not a part of those conferences after March 1, 2026, he would only owe a total buyout of $75,000.
Faulkner, who was hired in April 2024 to succeed Jerrod Calhoun after the former coach departed for Utah State, guided the Penguins to their third straight 20-win season, a program first, while also guiding YSU to its first Horizon League championship game appearance.
The Penguins went 21-13 overall this past season and finished in fourth in the Horizon League conference standings at 13-7.
Prior to his promotion to head coach last year, Faulkner played a key role in YSU’s success on Calhoun’s coaching staff for five years.
“I am extremely excited and grateful to continue to lead the Youngstown State Men’s Basketball program,” Faulkner said in a press release. “I want to thank President (Bill) Johnson, our board of trustees, and athletic director Ron Strollo for their confidence in me.
“Our program continues to build momentum year after year. Youngstown is a unique place with incredible support from our athletic department, and a community that has great pride in our program. I look forward to watching our program continue to grow in the future.”
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