per ESPN.com...

Quote:It's common for a coach to ask an athletic director for a contract extension. Ron Zook took a different approach.

When Florida AD Jeremy Foley came to him about adding a year to his deal, the Gators coach said he didn't think it was appropriate.

"I said, 'I don't want to talk about that right now,''' Zook said. "We're going to do it the right way. We're going to earn it.''

Coming off a tumultuous 8-5 rookie season, Zook will head into the 2003 season with four years left on the five-year, $5.1 million deal he signed when Foley hired him to replace Steve Spurrier.

Like many athletic directors, Foley has often tried to keep multiple years on his coaches' contracts so others can't use a short contract against them in recruiting.

"That's a pretty common practice,'' Foley said. "But the purpose of the contract isn't to keep it at a five-year base forever.''

Zook said when Foley approached him about the issue, he immediately stopped any talk of an extension.

"I told him we don't need to talk about a contract, we need to talk about winning games,'' Zook said.

Foley understood.

"Certainly it shows what kind of person he is,'' he said in an earlier interview with Florida Today.

Gators basketball coach Billy Donovan also has four years left on his contract, and Foley said the two will sit down soon to talk about an extension.

Hmmm...... Interesting.

Now that the 'storm' has been wethered, many are starting to gain confidence in Zook, one thing for sure, he's a great recruiter, we will see next year if he is the real deal at Head Coaching!