BATON ROUGE – LSU head football coach Nick Saban, who led the Tigers to the 2003 national championship of college football and was named National Coach of the Year, has agreed to a new seven-year contract, the University has announced.

The contract was approved by the athletic committee of the LSU Board of Supervisors on Thursday and will be approved by the full board on Friday morning.

Saban will be paid $2.3 million in the first year of the contract and his compensation will escalate over the life of the contract. Additional compensation can be earned each year through various championships and bowl game appearances.

“Nick Saban is the finest coach in America and we were committed to paying him accordingly,” said LSU athletics director Skip Bertman. “He has brought unprecedented success to this University and has built a program of championship caliber both on and off the field. This contract is a commitment to excellence for LSU.”

Under the terms of the contract, Saban will be paid $2.3 million in 2004, which includes $400,000 in salary, $1.45 million for radio and television programs, $300,000 by the Tiger Athletic Foundation and $150,000 from the school’s official shoe and equipment provider.

"As I've said on many occasions, I'm very pleased and happy to be the coach at LSU and I, along with my family, are very appreciative for what the University has done," Saban said. "I'm also thankful to Chancellor Mark Emmert, Skip (Bertman) and the entire administration for the commitment to excellence that they have for the LSU football program.

"We are committed to a standard of excellence both on and off the field at LSU and it's very gratifying to know that our accomplishments are appreciated."