~ The Southeast men’s basketball coach is now under contract through 2017

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt has agreed to a new contract that will run through the 2016-17 season, athletic director Mark Alnutt announced in a news release Wednesday.

Nutt's previous contract was set to expire after next season.

"I'm very excited about the direction of our men's basketball program," Alnutt said in the release. "I firmly believe that Coach Nutt has laid a solid foundation for this program to be a contender in the OVC on an annual basis.

"Our ultimate goal is to win an OVC championship. We achieve that by building a program the right way, recruiting high character student-athletes who leave Southeast with their degrees and having a coaching staff that abides by NCAA rules and regulations. I look forward to continuing to work with Coach Nutt as he prepares for the upcoming season and beyond."

Southeast finished 18-14 this season and secured a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for the fourth year in a row. The Redhawks lost to eventual champion Eastern Kentucky in the quarterfinal round of the tournament.

The Redhawks had a winning season for the second year in a row, which had not happened in 13 years, and their 18 wins were the most since the 2000-2001 season.

"I can't begin to tell you how excited I am with the new contract," Nutt said in the release. "I am most appreciative that [university President] Dr. Dobbins and Mr. Alnutt have the confidence in me to continue building this program to higher grounds. I do believe that our future is bright and this only enhances our efforts in reaching our goals."