Northern Kentucky University athletic director Ken Bothof issued a statement Thursday about renewing the contract of men’s basketball head coach John Brannen.

“I’ve been saying for the last two years that Northern Kentucky men’s basketball is a program on the rise,” Bothof said in a statement. “Coach Brannen has been terrific at the helm of the program and, obviously, instrumental in the process of building a nationally-respected team. Coach and I began discussions of a contract extension before the Horizon League Tournament. We are fully committed to doing all we can to keep him as NKU’s coach.”

Bothof and Brannen both declined to speak in person about the possibility of a contract extension.

ESPN college basketball writer Jeff Goodman speculated Brannen could be a candidate for the Dayton head coaching position recently vacated by Archie Miller.

Dayton, however, hired former Alabama head coach Anthony Grant to be the Flyers head coach on Thursday morning.  

Brannen is coming off a season where he lead the Norse to a 24-10 record, a Horizon League championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament in just his second season as NKU head coach.