Missouri 1st-year hoops coach Gates gets contract extension

By The Associated Press

Missouri coach Dennis Gates looks on during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Tennessee in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Friday, March 10, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/John Amis]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Missouri has extended first-year basketball coach Dennis Gates’ contract another year through the 2028-29 season. The school announced the deal soon after he guided the Tigers to their first semifinal berth at the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Earlier Friday, No. 25 Missouri beat 17th-ranked Tennessee 79-71 in the SEC quarterfinals in Nashville. Gates has led the Tigers to a 24-8 record and the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament. They next play Alabama on Saturday. It is the first time Missouri has made it into the conference semifinals since joining the league in 2012.