STARKVILLE ­— Mississippi State women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer is reaping the benefits of turning the program into a national championship contender.

On Monday, Mississippi State announced that Schaefer has signed a four-year, $6.3 million contract extension with the school. The extension runs through 2021 and will give Schaefer incremental raises starting at $1,584,000 next season and capping out at $1,650,000 in 2021. Schaefer is also due a $375,000 retention bonus if he is still Mississippi State’s coach on June 1, 2021.

The new extension replaces a four-year extension Schaefer received in 2017. Terms of the previous extension were not available.

“Coach Schaefer has elevated our women’s basketball program to an elite level,” Mississippi State Director of Athletics John Cohen said in a release. “His student-athletes’ achievements both in the classroom and on the court have set a standard of excellence. We look forward to seeing our national coach of the year on the sidelines for a long time to come.”

Schaefer is entering his seventh season at Mississippi State. He has taken the Bulldogs to unprecedented heights, highlighted by the program’s first Southeastern Conference regular-season crown last season en route to a school-record and nation’s-most 37 wins and a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament championship game.

The Bulldogs have won 161 games during Schaefer’s tenure, nearly twice as many as in the five seasons prior to his arrival.

“We are excited about continuing our quest of winning SEC and National Championships and extending the success of recent years,” Schaefer said. “I convey my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to my dedicated and talented staff, to my high achieving student-athletes and to the enthusiastic fan support of Bulldogs across the country.”