Arizona baseball: Jay Johnson’s contract extended through 2022

A day after Mike Candrea had his contract extended through 2022, Arizona Wildcats baseball coach Jay Johnson received a similar reward.

Johnson has agreed to a five-year extension that will run through 2022 and increase his base salary to $500,000, the UA announced Tuesday.

The extension also includes performance bonuses and 50,000 units in a master limited partnership that will fully vest at the completion of the contract.

According to the UA’s salary database, Johnson’s salary was $335,000 in 2016-17.

"Jay Johnson has done a tremendous job as our head baseball coach and we are committed to having him in Tucson for a long time," Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke said in a statement. "Jay's combination of program vision, preparation, leadership, in-game coaching and ability to recruit have made him one of the most sought-after coaches in college baseball, and we're ecstatic he'll remain a Wildcat. It's important that we continue to invest in our baseball program from on-going improvements at Hi Corbett Field to competitive coaches' salaries, and retaining Jay Johnson is a great way to start."

After taking over as head coach prior to the 2016 season, Johnson has tallied a 87-45 record and became the first coach in school history to lead Arizona to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons as head coach.

Johnson helped Arizona reach the College World Series in his first year with the program, where it finished as the tournament’s runner-up (and one win away from a national championship).

This past season, Arizona was 38-21 and finished fourth in the Pac-12, before being eliminated in Regionals in Lubbock, Texas.

"I am honored to be the coach at Arizona because this is a special place," Johnson said in a statement. "I'm thankful that President Robbins, our AD Dave Heeke and our University community have the trust in me to lead this program. Their support, along with the wonderful support of our fans, will help us continue to make Arizona baseball something the Wildcat family can be proud of."

The Arizona baseball program has received its fair share of upgrades in recent years, including a new scoreboard and seating at Hi Corbett Field, and in the fall the Terry Francona Hitting Facility is scheduled to be completed.

The team’s clubhouse is being full renovated, too, and that is expected to be completed by Labor Day.

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire