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BUFFALO, NY - University at Buffalo head football coach Jim Hofher has received a contract extension which will keep him on the Bulls' sidelines through the 2006 season.

Jim Hofher

Hofher has compiled a 7-39 record, including a 2-9 mark in 2004 - matching Buffalo's most wins in the Mid-American Conference since joining the league in 1999 - in his first four seasons. Among his coaching accomplishments at UB have been Buffalo's first win over a Bowl Championship Series conference member (at Rutgers), the Bulls' first Division I-A shutout (44-0 over Ohio), the first road win in Division I-A (at Connecticut) and two wins in conference play last season by an average margin of 29 points.

Hofher came to Buffalo after assistant coaching stints at Syracuse and North Carolina and had posted a 44-38 overall record as head coach at Cornell from 1990-97. The Big Red also won more Ivy League games under Hofher than any other coach. A 26-year veteran of Division I coaching, he has also served as an assistant coach at Tennessee, Wake Forest and Miami (OH).

"As we clearly stated in the fall, the University wanted to work out an extension agreement with Jim and we are pleased that we were able to do that," said Bill Maher, Interim Director of Athletics. "Jim is the right man to lead our football program as we look forward to the continued improvement of our football team."

"I am pleased that our program will continue to receive the support of the University in our efforts to build an excellent football program here at UB," said Hofher. "We continue to pursue the goals of recruiting and developing outstanding student-athletes to win MAC championships. We feel strongly that those efforts will begin to pay dividends in the near future."

In addition, Buffalo has announced its 2005 football schedule, featuring six bowl eligible teams in 2004 and five that played in bowls last year. The schedule, which has a distinctive BIG EAST and Mid-American Conference flavor, will see the Bulls open the '05 campaign with three straight games against BIG EAST competition before concluding the season with eight straight MAC contests.

Highlighting the schedule will be the home opener against BIG EAST foe Rutgers on Sept. 17 as well as the season-opening game at Motor City Bowl champion Connecticut (Sept. 1). Buffalo will also host MAC East rivals Akron (for Homecoming on Oct. 8) and Ohio (Oct. 29), while GMAC Bowl champion Bowling Green - which moves back to the East Division this year with the departure of Marshall - returns to UB Stadium on Oct. 15.

The Bulls crossover games with the West Division of the MAC will see them host Eastern Michigan (Nov. 19) and travel to Toledo (Oct. 22) and Western Michigan (Oct. 1) to open conference play.

"Once again we have an extremely competitive schedule, arguably the most difficult in UB history, with five bowl teams from last season," said Hofher. "We are certainly excited about the challenges of facing three BIG EAST programs, while our conference schedule is typical of what all teams face in an extremely competitive conference. To achieve excellence, we must overcome great challenges in 2005."

Click here to see the Bulls' 2005 schedule.