photo by: Emma Crouch/Kansas Athletics

Kansas head coach Dan Fitzgerald during practice at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

Reigning Big 12 Coach of the Year Dan Fitzgerald signed an amended six-year contract on Tuesday after leading Kansas baseball to its best season in over a decade. After getting the Jayhawks into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, he received an automatic one-year contract extension for reaching the postseason, extending his deal through 2029, and has now signed a modified six-year deal.

This comes just a few days after KU Athletic Director Travis Goff said that they were nearing an extension with Fitzgerald at a Kansas Athletics Board of Directors meeting.

“This contract is a reflection of Dan Fitzgerald’s remarkable impact during his time in Lawrence,” Goff said via a news release. “The program’s progression on the field is well documented and certainly unprecedented. And this extension demonstrates our belief that we can compete for conference championships and CWS appearances under his leadership. Dan is an elite leader and mentor for the student-athletes in his program, creating a culture of accountability, holistic excellence and strong character.”

Fitzgerald turned the program around from a last-place finish in the Big 12 in 2022, the year before he joined Kansas, to a conference-leading 20 wins in 2025 (43 overall for the season, falling second only to West Virginia and Arizona, which won 44 each).

Fitzgerald and recruiting coordinator Jon Coyne have had the No. 1 ranked junior college recruiting class in the country for three years straight. In 2024, Fitzgerald led Kansas to its first semifinals appearance in the Big 12 Championship in over a decade, and in 2025 the Jayhawks returned to the semifinals and made it to the NCAA Tournament.

The contract extension also includes an increase in scholarships for baseball, the implementation of revenue sharing among student athletes and facility investments to match Kansas’ return to national competition.

“I am so appreciative to my staff who have worked relentlessly to recruit and develop the right student-athletes,” Fitzgerald said in a press release. “This past season was a major step forward – one that gives us a great road map for the journey ahead.”