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Buffalo extends contract of head coach Pete Lembo

Buffalo extends contract of head coach Pete Lembo

Reuters11-02-2025
Buffalo head coach Pete Lembo agreed to a one-year contract extension on Tuesday that boosts his deal with the school through the 2029 season.
Financial terms were not disclosed for Lembo, who guided the Bulls to a 9-4 record and a 26-7 victory over Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl in his first year on the job. The season win total was one shy of Lance Leipold (2018) for the most in the program's history.
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"Pete Lembo exceeded expectations as our head football coach during his first year at UB," Buffalo director of athletics Mark Alnutt said. "He has definitely earned and deserves a contract extension. He has instilled an unbelievable culture in our program that resulted in a very successful year both on and off the field.
"In addition to his extension, I recognize the work that his coaching staff has done to contribute to this success and have provided Pete additional resources to assist him with retaining and recruiting critical members of his staff. An incredible foundation has been built under Pete's leadership and I look forward to continued success as we as a University community work together to build this program as one of the top programs in the Group of Five."
Lembo, 54, previously was the head coach at Lehigh (2001-05), Elon (2006-10) and Ball State (2011-15), amassing a 112-65 record at those schools.
--Field Level Media
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