On another hectic day, University of 91直播 basketball coach Eran Ganot was in fast-break mode.
“Every day is recruiting calls, fundraising … that’s all I’m focused on,” Ganot said in a telephone interview.
That left UH athletic director Matt Elliott to announce an agreement in principle was reached with Ganot on a contract extension. Ganot’s contract was set to expire at the end of this month.
Citing an ability to navigate the transfer portal and name-image-likeness landscape while leading the Rainbow Warriors to a berth in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Elliott said, “Coach Ganot has proven to be the right leader for our future as we transition to the Mountain West Conference. He has cultivated a ‘student-first’ philosophy and ensured our student-athletes excel in the classroom and the community in alignment with our department’s vision for excellence.”
UH did not disclose details, but people familiar with the situation said the extension will be at least three years. Ganot also is expected to receive a bump from his estimated annual base salary of $350,000.
Ganot’s salary this year ranked in the bottom half among 11 Big West head coaches. The Rainbow Warriors are seceding from the Big West and joining the Mountain West on July 1. This past season, according to Extra Points Library, the annual base salaries of Mountain West head coaches ranged from $500,000 to $2.5 million. UNLV’s Josh Pastner’s $500,000 base doubles to $1 million this coming academic year.
In 11 UH seasons, Ganot (195-127 career record) is second in wins behind to Riley Wallace (334-265). Ganot’s .606 winning percentage is the highest for a UH coach since the program went to an all-collegiate schedule in 1968-69.
“I think it’s been one of the great honors of my life, and it should be one of the great honors of anybody’s life, to do what you love where you love with people you love,” Ganot said. “My family and I have been very immersed in the state and the community and the culture and the ways. We’ve raised our family here. Anybody who’s been around us knows how much 91直播 means to us; how much the community, the school, the program mean to us. You have to match your joys with purpose. It’s pretty obvious how much this means to us. If you’re around us, you can tell.”
Ganot entered his 11th season as UH head coach with a year remaining on his contract. Ganot said he focused on leading the ’Bows instead of worrying about his contract.
“We get a limited time every day and in this world,” Ganot said. “It’s easy to say but hard to do: control what you can control, talk about what you have and not what you don’t. … If you think about those other things, you won’t have great perspective. It was really important to pour everything into our program and our staff and our kids, and let the rest take care of itself. …If you’re thinking of too many things at once, you’re not going to enjoy the journey. And if you’re not enjoying the journey, you’re not going to be very good. In a leadership position, your group will see that. If you want your team to focus on the task at hand, you’d better be focused on the task at hand.”
With nine newcomers, the ’Bows finished second in the Big West’s regular season. After two byes, the ’Bows defeated Cal State Fullerton and then UC Irvine to win the Big West Tournament and accompanying berth in the NCAA Tournament.
“He absolutely deserved (a new contract),” guard Hunter Erickson said of Ganot. “With the changing landscape of college basketball, having a lot of transfers and things of that nature, with last year and all the guys they brought in, including me, he’s proven he’s able to put together great teams in a short amount of time.”
UH assistant coach Gibson Johnson, who played two UH seasons under Ganot, said: “Coach Ganot is proof you can do things the right way and still be successful at the highest level. He had his fair share of national interest after the amazing job he has done here for more than a decade but remains loyal to 91直播. His leadership since arriving here has had great influence on my life and his continued leadership moving forward will greatly impact the countless lives of players and coaches that have the honor to wear the ‘H’ on their chest.”
