Moon Township, Pa.– Robert Morris University football head coach John Banaszak signed a contract extension, RMU Director of Athletics Craig Coleman, M.D., announced today. Banaszak is currently in the final year of his original three-year contract.
 
"Coach Banaszak has shown great leadership this year with a team that is extremely young and decimated with injury, and yet continues to improve and refuses to quit. This will lead to a resurgence of our program in the near future," said Coleman.
 
Robert Morris showed signs of growth in Banaszak's second season at the helm in 2015 as RMU won three games in which it trailed in the second half while a school record eight Colonials won Northeast Conference (NEC) weekly honors, including true freshman quarterback Mathew Barr, who was a two-time honoree. Two Colonials – Gee Stanley this season and Kyle Buss in 2015 – were the first two players in team history to be named finalists for the STATS FCS National Freshman Player of the Year Award.
 
"I think it's more than just a vote of confidence from Dr. Coleman and President Chris Howard. They are very supportive of what we are doing. They understand our situation that we are predominantly a freshmen and sophomore football team that goes out every week and fights and eventually is going to get this thing turned around," said Banaszak. "The extension gives us the opportunity to continue to recruit the young men that we feel are going to be important to our program down the road. That's what really necessitated us making this move at this time."
 
Multiple phases of the Robert Morris specials teams, which continue to be overseen by Banaszak, thrived during his tenure. RMU scored a program record three touchdowns on special teams in 2015, only to see that record broken with four special teams scores this season. Those scores include the three longest kickoff returns in team history – 96 yards, 99 yards and 100 yards – along with the first blocked field goal return for a TD.
 
Warren Robinson ranked second nationally in punt return average in 2015 by netting 18.2 yards per return, breaking RMU's single season school record in the process. This season, Dante Satcher leads the nation in kick returns with a 43.1 yard average. The Colonials also broke the program record, and ranked second nationally, in kick return defense as the unit only allowed 14.7 yards per opponent return. The former defensive lineman also presided over a defense that tied the single-season school record in sacks (34) and ranked among the top 25 nationally in seven categories in 2015.
 
During the 2014 campaign, Banaszak led the Colonials to the largest comeback victory in school history while also turning the squad into one of the most disciplined in the country as RMU broke its program record for fewest penalty yards per game. He oversaw a youth infusion that saw a number of Colonials perform admirably in their first time on a collegiate stage. In fact, four distinct Colonials were named NEC Rookie of the Week during the course of 2014, setting a new school record while simultaneously tying a league record that had only been achieved once previously.
 
Banaszak officially became the RMU head coach in December 2013. He had been selected as Coach-In-Waiting in January 2012 at a press conference at the Charles L. Sewall Center, allowing for a simple transition following the 2013 campaign. He served as an assistant coach and assistant head coach for the Colonials for 11 consecutive years prior to taking over the top spot.
 
At the end of the 2013 season, not long before Banaszak was set to move into the head role, he was named as the Assistant Coach of the Year at the FCS level as selected by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He was one of five coaches selected, each at different levels of college football, for dedication to their teams and communities. He was the first Robert Morris coach, as well as the first from the NEC, to claim this honor.
 
Robert Morris returns home to Joe Walton Stadium to host Central Connecticut Saturday. Kickoff is slated for Noon.