[media-credit id=2200 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Quinnipiac men’s basketball head coach Baker Dunleavy has agreed to a five-year contract extension, according to a release by the school.

Quinnipiac’s Director of Athletics, Greg Amodio, announced that the extension will run through the 2022-23 campaign.

This comes just one year after Dunleavy took the helm in Hamden. In his first season he led the Bobcats to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference semifinal appearance, something the program hadn’t accomplished since the 2013-14 season.

“Baker Dunleavy embodies all of the qualities that Quinnipiac values in its leadership, both as a mentor and role model to our student-athletes and as an ambassador for the University,” Amodio said in the press release. “In his first  year as head coach, he has established a strong foundation for our men’s basketball program that will lead to sustained success for years to come.

“I’m confident that Baker and his staff will continue to build the program into a perennial MAAC contender.”

Dunleavy and the Bobcats will return four starters from last season’s MAAC semifinal team.

Cam Young, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility by the NCAA, will look to build off a campaign that saw him break the Quinnipiac single-season scoring record with 622 points and receive All-MAAC Second Team honors.

In addition to Young, MAAC All-Rookie selection Rich Kelly (11.1 PPG) and fellow rising sophomore Jacob Rigoni (9.8 PPG) will return looking to build on strong first seasons that had them second and fourth on the team in scoring.

Big news out of Hamden, as Quinnipiac men's basketball coach Baker Dunleavy (@BakerDunleavy) signs a five-year extension after just one year on the job, per a press release#MAACHoops pic.twitter.com/pqMJZhANGY

— Logan Reardon (@TheLoganReardon) August 20, 2018

“I am excited and humbled to continue leading our basketball program at Quinnipiac University,” Dunleavy said in the press release. “My staff and I are appreciative to our administration and leadership. We could not be more excited about our young group and the direction of our program.”

The Bobcats will add four incoming freshman this season, which includes New York State Player of the Year Savion Lewis, Matthew Balanc, Tyree Pickron and Tyrese Williams.

In addition, Dunleavy will also have last year’s transfers in Travis Atson and Kevin Marfo at his disposal this season. While they were enrolled at Quinnipiac, the two were forced to sit out the 2017-18 campaign due to the NCAA’s transfer rules.

This marks the second consecutive season that Quinnipiac has given an extension to one of it’s basketball coaches, as women’s head coach Tricia Fabbri received a five-year extension last summer.

Dunleavy and the Bobcats will open the 2018-19 season against his alma mater and defending national champion Villanova Wildcats, as they look to build the success of last season