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James Madison's Mike Houston earns new deal after FCS title win

Coach Mike Houston, of FCS national champion James Madison, has been given a restructured contract, athletic director Jeff Bourne said Thursday.

The new five-year contract runs through the 2021 season -- adding one year to the second-year coach's original deal -- and includes both an increase in base pay and additional bonuses awarded for a CAA football championship, conference coach of the year and national coach of the year honors. Houston's base salary will jump from $300,000 annually to $375,000, according to the Daily News-Record.

Other original postseason and retention bonuses, including those connected to the program's NCAA Academic Progress Rate score, remain intact.

"Mike Houston is not only a successful football coach, but he is a quality person, a great mentor and an embodiment of our aspirations as an athletic department and as a university," Bourne said. "We are pleased to reward Mike for a tremendous first year and eagerly anticipate building on our national championship heading into 2017 and beyond."

James Madison completed its 14-1 season with a 28-14 win over Youngstown State in the FCS national championship game on Jan. 7. The Dukes were 8-0 in winning the CAA football title.