BRASWELL GETS CSUN EXTENSION COACH REWARDED WITH FOUR-YEAR DEAL.

Byline: Michael A. Anastasi Sports Editor 

Bobby Braswell has done things the right way.

And so Cal State Northridge rewarded its men's basketball coach with a four-year contract extension on Friday that will pay the 37-year-old Valley native nearly $140,000 annually plus incentives.

``This is a great day for me and for my family,'' said Braswell, who graduated from CSUN and began his career as the coach at Cleveland High in Reseda.

Braswell has a 63-53 record in four years at CSUN and led the Matadors to their first 20-win season at the Division I-A level last season.

He has built the program while remaining steadfastly loyal to an old-school brand of coaching that at times has left some of his best players on the bench for important games because they violated a team rule.

``That's been the most satisfying thing about it,'' Braswell said. ``We've done this without sacrificing our principles. It's been a fun ride.''

Braswell will earn a base salary of $100,116 plus an additional $38,000 from outside sources. He said he can earn more by achieving a number of incentives that are written into the contract.

The salary puts Braswell in line with other men's basketball coaches in the Big West Conference, which CSUN is moving to following a final season in the Big Sky.

Wayne Morgan at Long Beach State, for example, signed a contract extension earlier this summer that pays him $140,000 annually.

``I have been impressed with Coach Braswell's integrity and with his concern for student-athletes and their development on and off the court,'' CSUN athletic director Dick Dull said.

``He has molded this program into a highly competitve team, and I look forward to even bigger and better accomplishments in the years to come.''

Braswell has been interviewed several times for coaching vacancies at other universities. He said his new contract raises the bar for employment elsewhere.

``Right now I am committed to Cal State Northridge,'' Braswell said. ``It's going to have to be a very, very, very!off good job.''

CSUN twice has come one victory away from reaching the NCAA Tournament under Braswell, most recently in April when the Matadors lost in the Big Sky Tournament final in overtime to Northern Arizona.

The Matadors, while playing inconsistently at times this past year, nevertheless defeated both Fresno State and Oregon - two eventual NCAA teams - on the road.

This year's team returns four starters: Brian Heinle, Markus Carr, Jeff Parris and Carl Holmes. Together they averaged 44 points a game.

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Photo: Cal State Northridge awarded men's basketball coach Bobby Braswell a four-year contract extension Friday. Daily News File Photo