The contract, obtained through a public records request with the university, outlines an agreement that sets the veteran coach Duft with a three-year term that the school can terminate early with no qualifiers.

The agreement runs from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2028. The “termination for cause” section includes a clause that gives the WSU president or athletic director the discretion to end the contract early (after the first year) with no buyout. This clause has not typically been included in previous contracts for WSU head coaches, indicating a heightened expectation of a turnaround from the low point of the 2024-25 season.

Last season saw WSU go 5-13 in the Big Sky, lose two senior starters to injury, and set program lows of 10 home losses, a ninth-place Big Sky finish and a .278 league winning percentage.

“It’s not acceptable,” Duft said. “We don’t want to do that, we take accountability for it. Our culture stayed strong and as long as we have that, we’ll get it turned around fast. I appreciate the administration and the support they’ve given us. We’re going to have more resources next year.”

Duft will enter his 20th year at Weber State and fourth as head coach.

“I’m just appreciative of the fact that I get to continue to coach at a great university,” he said. “We’ll get this thing where we want it.”

Some details remain unclear regarding the “infusion of significant resources.” What is publicly known is an announced donation of $1 million from the Wheelwright family of Wheelwright Lumber, earmarked for football and men’s basketball. Athletic director Tim Crompton said in March the school had “multiple” donors come forward to support men’s basketball after the season.

While NIL deals are not publicly available, Tijan Saine — the Weber State signee that The Portal Report recently rated the No. 6 player in the country among Division II to Division I transfers — told Cascadia Daily News during his recruitment that his NIL offers were up to $60,000.

Only time can tell what impact that has on the program. Due in part to NIL, WSU lost out on at least one transfer in 2024 who became an all-Big Sky performer. Weber State is new to that game but is now seemingly in the mix when it comes to transfers or retaining top talent.

“I’m going to keep pushing the envelope, keep raising money. We’ll get this back where we need to be, quickly,” Duft said.

Duft’s contract pays a yearly salary of $181,958, up from the $167,294 of his first contract and an increase consistent with inflation since the first contract was signed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI inflation calculator.

For comparison’s sake, Randy Rahe’s compensation in the final contract of his 16-year run was $332,594 (a salary of $192,594 with a yearly bonus of $140,000).

In the Big Sky currently, publicly reported salaries include: Montana State’s Matt Logie at $197,000, per 406mtsports.com; salary and yearly bonus combined to pay $230,000 to Travis DeCuire at Montana, per MontanaSports.com; and Sacramento State shelling out to hire Mike Bibby with a base salary of $300,000 and “supplemental talent fee” of another $150,000, per The State Hornet.

ONE ASSISTANT COACH CHANGE

Assistant coach Leonard Perry has left Weber State to pursue other opportunities, Duft said.

Duft said he has a picture of the kind of on-court and recruiting presence his new assistant will have but is still in the process of hiring.

Perry came to Weber State for the 2024-25 season after three seasons as head coach at Pacific.

Dan Russell, previously at Montana State, will enter his fourth season as an assistant coach and second as associate head coach. Jorge Ruiz is also set for his fourth season as an assistant coach and eighth overall on WSU’s staff.