Report: Contract details emerge for Dennis Gates at Missouri

Dennis Gates is officially the new head coach at Missouri. Now, details about his contract are starting to emerge.

Gates signed a six-year, $16.5 million contract, according to Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He’ll make $2.5 million in 2022-23 — his first season — and work his way up to $3 million by the 2026-27 season. Should Missouri win a national championship, Gates would get a $200,000 bonus.

The deal is one year shorter and about $5 million less than former coach Cuonzo Martin’s deal. Missouri fired Martin on March 11 and paid him his entire $6 million buyout, according to Matter.

Gates also has a membership at a local country club, 10 premium tickets for home basketball games, eight premium tickets for home football games and a choice of either two courtesy cars or a $600 per month automobile stipend, Matter reported.

Missouri opted to fire Martin earlier this month after a 12-21 season this past year, including 5-13 in SEC action. The Tigers hired Gates from Cleveland State, where he spent three seasons. He led the Vikings to a 50-40 record in that time, including 38-21 in Horizon League play.

Missouri hires Cleveland State head coach Dennis Gates

Missouri is ending its men’s basketball head coaching search, according to a report from PowerMizzou, as the Tigers are hiring former Cleveland State men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates after the board approved the decision.

“To officially hire Gates, a contract must be approved by the University Board of Curators,” Game DeArmond of PowerMizzou wrote. “By state law, the Curators are required to issue a 24-hour public notice prior to the meeting. That notice has not been issued at this time. But sources have said the only hurdle between Gates being the next coach is the stamp of approval from the board.”

Gates has been the head coach at Cleveland State since 2019 and has turned the Vikings program around in a three-year span. At the time of his hiring, Cleveland State had not amassed a .500 record in five years and the Vikings had not made the NCAA Tournament since the 2008-09 season. After an 11-21 campaign in the 2019-20 season, Gates’ first at the helm, the Vikings went 19-8 in the COVID-19-abbreviated season. They won the Horizon League regular-season crown and the Horizon League Tournament that year en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Cleveland State finished the 2021-22 season 20-11, a record good for the regular-season Horizon League title. But the Vikings lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament and did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.