The clock was ticking and NIU was out of timeouts. It was late in the second half and the Huskie basketball program had its back against the wall.

And Jim Molinari, like any good coach would, put on a little full-court pressure.

The strategy worked to perfection for Molinari this summer as he became the first coach to receive a multi-year contract at a school known for giving only one-year pacts. Molinari, who signed three one-year contracts in July, takes over the head men’s basketball coaching spot with job security that other NIU coaches can only dream of.

In the past, NIU had held tightly to its policy of offering only one-year contracts to its coaches. The athletic department had never given multi-year deals—multi-year verbal commitments, yes—but not multi-year contracts. The reason for NIU’s insistence on this matter was simple: Refusing to renew someone’s contract is easier than firing somebody (and it makes the university look better). And for awhile that seemed like pretty good logic.

But with the recent developments in the NIU basketball program, Athletic Director Gerald O’Dell was going to find it harder than a Donnell Thomas blockout to find a reputable coach who would sign a one-year pact with the Huskies.

After all, NIU’s cage program had suffered three consecutive losing seasons and only one recruit had been signed in the off-season. In addition, the administration had its eye blackened when controversy arose over O’Dell’s decision to drop former coach Jim Rosborough and break NIU’s four-year verbal commitment with the coach. In order to get a respected coach with experience above the Biddy Basketball level, O’Dell was forced to make some concessions.

Look at it from Molinari’s point of view. He had cushy office at DePaul where he was an assistant at a top program. A job opened up at a local Division I program that was having its troubles. Instead of leaping at the head-coaching position and its shaky one-year contract, Molinari played it cool. He knew about NIU’s problems, and he used that knowledge to grab some stability.

Now he has a three-year contract. He has a university car and other fringe benefits. And to cap it off, he has a clause in the deal that makes the pact a rolling contract. In other words, if Molinari gets a positive evaluation after this season, he automatically gets another year added to his contract. So, as long as he performs, he has a three-year contract at NIU.

Molinari’s contract also may spur Huskie coaches such as football’s Jerry Pettibone and women’s basketball’s Jane Albright to seek multi-year peace of mind. In fact, Molinari’s name might become a pretty popular topic during the contract negotiations of the other 13 coaches, too. If that happens, NIU might find itself scrambling to recover money that it intended to use on stadium renovations and the new baseball program. The university, meanwhile, will hope that the Molinari contract proves to be a step in the right direction.

During this whole adventure Molinari has been guilty of only one thing—watching out for himself and his family. And who can blame him for using a good situation to his advantage?

If Molinari displays the same type of strategy when he’s on the sidelines this winter, NIU is bound to be tough. O’Dell might testify to that.