Saint Louis University has locked down men's basketball coach Josh Schertz with a contract extension, athletic director Chris May announced Friday. The move comes as Schertz was drawing interest from power conference programs after leading the Billikens to their first Atlantic 10 regular-season title since 2014.

Schertz has transformed the program in his second season, guiding Saint Louis to a 27-4 overall record and 15-3 conference mark. The Billikens enter the A-10 tournament as the top seed and are projected to make the NCAA tournament according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi. His 46-19 record includes an NIT appearance last season.

The extension prevents a potential poaching of one of college basketball's rising coaches. Schertz built his reputation with a successful run at Division II Lincoln Memorial, including three Final Four appearances, before three seasons at Indiana State.