AURORA -- Armed with a contract extension that should keep her in Boulder through the 2012-13 season, Colorado women's basketball coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said Thursday it's time for her program to take the next step.

McConnell-Miller said she and her assistants will hit the recruiting trail next month with a new sense of confidence. It's a big year in recruiting for the program with at least five, and, possibly six scholarships to offer. And it's one of the best year's in recent memory for in-state talent in women's basketball.

McConnell-Miller said she hopes to sign a player at every position and all of them could come from high schools inside the state lines. She said her new deal will help sign an impact class that allows the program to make the biggest jump in the Big 12 Conference.

"For us, it's probably the most significant class since we've been here as far as the state of Colorado and the impact these players can make," McConnell-Miller said. "And having this contract extended just confirms the support of (athletic director) Mike Bohn and the chancellor."

The Board of Regents unanimously approved extensions for both McConnell-Miller and football coach Dan Hawkins at its meeting on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson confirmed both coaches received raises, but the terms of thedeals were not released because the contracts have not been signed. Bohn said he and Hawkins are still working out some of the details in the coach's deal, but the board's vote authorized him to move forward with certain parameters.

McConnell-Miller received a 4.8 percent raise, following campus standards.

Sources close to the board said the most significant change in McConnell-Miller's deal was the addition of a buyout clause. McConnell-Miler interviewed for the vacancy at UCLA earlier this spring and if she would have been hired there, CU would have been left empty handed.

Peterson said McConnell-Miller's flirtation with UCLA was not the motivation behind giving her a new contract. He said he and Bohn had been discussing the move prior to that development.

"Both Kathy and Dan have done an outstanding job of trying to help us in our efforts to integrate the athletic department into the fabric of the university," Peterson said. "They're both out in the community. They're both engaged. They're both very involved with their student athletes to make sure they are successful both on and off the field."

If McConnell-Miller leaves for another job at any point during the next three years she must pay CU a penalty. If she leaves in 2009, she would owe $300,000, in 2010 she would have to pay $200,000 and in 2011 she would owe $100,000.

"Kathy has continued to make progress on all fronts with her program and we anticipate continued growth and competitiveness," Bohn said.

The clause was put in place as part of the university's efforts to standardize all of its long-term deals. Both Hawkins' and men's basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik's contracts already featured buyout clauses, but Hawkins' buyout is still being finalized.

Hawkins received an additional two years on his contract, which now runs through the 2012 season. He was given a small bump in guaranteed money of $44,500, bringing his annual guaranteed salary to about $900,000.

"Clearly Dan represents work ethic, a level of intensity and passion that will continue to be instrumental in taking our program to greater heights," Bohn said.

The most significant increase for Hawkins came in incentive pay. Instead of earning $50,000 each for student citizenship, community outreach and academic progress, Hawkins is now eligible to earn $77,500 in each area. In the first two years of his tenure, Hawkins has earned 95 percent of the potential value in those areas, Bohn said.

Bonuses for his team's performance on the field and for earning such awards as Big 12 Conference and national coach of the year were also significantly increased.

"I'm honored that the university feels good about what we're doing here," Hawkins said. "I'm proud of the efforts we've put forth and glad they have the confidence in us that we're doing the right things on and off the field and they want us to stay here."

Hawkins agreed with McConnell-Miller in saying that the extension will help his program in recruiting, but he said with three years left on his deal, opponents have not started using his contract status as a negative recruiting tool.

Hawkins said he is continuing to discuss salary increases for his assistant coaches with the school. He said paying coaches at a high level will lead to continuity within the program and continuity leads to improvement throughout.

This is the first year since the 1987-88 season that CU has kept its entire football coaching staff in place.

"It's not just the head coach," Hawkins said. "You've got to have great people."

While both coaches seem to be making steady progress, some have suggested extensions were premature based on the win-loss records they have produced. McConnell-Miller's team advanced to the semifinals of the women's postseason National Invitation Tournament, but it has not produced a winning record in conference play. Hawkins' team is still looking for its first winning season under his leadership.

Regent Steve Bosley said those issues were discussed by board members, but they were not the driving force in choosing to approve the deals.

"I like the idea of watching what it takes for a coach to build a team," Bosley said. "We're such an instant-gratification society that somebody wants something tomorrow and you know you can't have it in rebuilding a team."