POCATELLO, Idaho- Idaho State Director of Athletics
Jeff Tingey has signed Bengal football coach
Mike Kramer to a three-year contract extension. The extension keeps Kramer in Pocatello through the 2017 season.
"I am excited to make this announcement," Tingey said. "Coach Kramer took over our football program at a very tough time. Since he was hired in 2010 he has done everything I have asked him to do. We are now having great success in the classroom and the players' leaders in the community. I knew the process of building the program on the field wasn't going to happen overnight because of the APR penalties we were under. Now we are beginning to see the fruits of coach Kramer's vision for Idaho State football on the field. I believe in him and his vision for the program."
Since coming to Idaho State Kramer has guided the football program to record success in the classroom and as promised when he was hired in 2010, the Bengal offense is going fast and breaking records.
Academically, the football program has carried a 3.0 GPA or better in five of the last six semesters and the team has boasted one-year APR scores of 975 and 1,000 the last two years. The football team has had a program record 20 student-athletes named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team in the fall.
Offensive records are being rewritten this year as the Bengals set a school record in total yards with 770 against Simon Fraser and
Justin Arias tied a 45-year old school record with six touchdown passes at No. 2 Eastern Washington.
Kramer has 86 career wins, which ranks third all-time for most wins in Big Sky history. He is one of two coaches at the Division I level to have coached three schools in the same conference. He is the only coach in Big Sky history to be named coach of the year at two different schools. He led Eastern Washington to a Big Sky title in 1997 and Montana State in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
"It has been a very interesting sojourn to this point," Kramer said. "On the face of it, it doesn't look like we have accomplished a lot on the field but we what we have accomplished academically and socially is immeasurable. Our on field presence continues to become what Idaho State fans want, what they need and what they deserve. I'd like to thank President Vailas, his staff, our athletic administration and all of Jeff's staff for having the faith and confidence in our plan that we initiated in November of 2010 is viable and works. I am proud of our accomplishments to this point and I look forward to being able to continue to strive toward the goals that everybody at this university has and should have."
Details of Kramer's contract will not be accessible until it is approved by the State Board of Education in December.
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