(July 12, 2005) ?C Fordham University and head men??s basketball coach Dereck Whittenburg have agreed on a contract extension through the 2010 season it was announced today by Fordham Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Frank McLaughlin. Financial terms of the contract were not released. ??We are excited that Dereck Whittenburg is committed to leading the Fordham program for years to come,?? said McLaughlin. ??Dereck has made tremendous progress with the men??s basketball program in his first two years and we look forward to the continuation of that progress in the future.?? ??This extension is a tribute to the progress of our student-athletes and our program here at Fordham,?? said Whittenburg. ??The administration appreciates what we??ve been able to accomplish and I think we have a bright future ahead of us.?? In his second season as the leader of the Rams, Whittenburg guided the 2004-05 squad, a team which entered the season with five true freshmen and only four scholarship players returning, to a 13-16 overall record, 8-8 in the Atlantic 10. The eight conference wins were the most by a Fordham team since the Rams joined the Atlantic 10 in 1995-96 and put the Rams in fourth place. The 13 overall wins were the most for the Rams since the 1999-2000 team went 14-15. The basketball Rams also turned in some firsts this winter, winning their first Atlantic 10 Tournament game with a 65-53 win over Duquesne in the first round of the tournament. The Rams also defeated Xavier and Temple for the first time since joining the league in 1995-96. The Rams also regained the home court advantage in the historic Rose Hill Gym, winning nine of the 13 games played at home, including six of their final seven. The nine home wins are the most since the 1993-94 squad went 9-3 at home. The Rams were led by a talented freshman class last winter, including forward Bryant Dunston, the 2005 Atlantic 10 and Metropolitan Basketball Writers Rookie of the Year, and forward Marcus Stout, a 2004-05 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selection. Whittenburg, 44, arrived at Rose Hill after turning the Wagner College around in four years, leading the Seahawks to a 21-10 record in 2002-03 and the Northeast Conference Championship, earning the school??s first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to Wagner, Whittenburg served as an assistant at Georgia Tech, under head coach Bob Cremins, West Virginia, Colorado, North Carolina State, Long Beach State and George Mason.