At a time when the University at Buffalo football program has never been more appealing, Athletic Director Warde Manuel has acted to keep his most valuable commodity around for several more seasons. Manuel and coach Turner Gill agreed to a contract extension that runs through the 2013 season.

Terms were not disclosed but Gill also has a rollover option each year to extend the deal further and will be one of the highest paid coaches in the Mid-American Conference. Temple’s Al Golden is the highest paid in the league at a reported $575,000 annually and Gill’s old deal – which ran through 2012 –paid him $263,000 a year.

“My family and I are excited,” Gill said on Tuesday. “We love the city of Buffalo. So we’re excited to continue to build this program in a great way and getting ready to take care of the Connecticut Huskies and also to continue to try to win another championship next year.”

There has been speculation that Gill was headed elsewhere, possibly Iowa State, which recently lost coach Gene Chizik to Auburn. Over the last year, Gill has interviewed at Nebraska, Syracuse and Auburn and was a candidate for openings at Washington State and Iowa State. Gill, who starred at Nebraska in the early ’80s, was the leading candidate at Iowa State to replace Chizik, according to sources.

“I not going to comment on Iowa State

at all,” Gill said Tuesday.

Nevertheless, the new contract is an indication that leaving UB — at least for the foreseeable future — may not be much on his mind. While others see Gill as a rising commodity in the coaching ranks, he clearly likes Western New York and the progress the program is making under his watch.

“My wife and I prayed about it,” Gill said. “We talked to different people around, people who are my mentors, and we feel this is the best for our family, this is the best thing for me to do at this particular time. And also with recruiting, and all those things going on, it was just time to move on.”

And then there’s the matter of success. Gill has won 13 games over the last two seasons after starting his first year with a 2-10 record. He won a share of the league’s East Division in 2007 and won the league outright with an upset victory over previously unbeaten Ball State in the MAC Championship Game. The Bulls are 8-5 and ready for the program’s first bowl appearance on Jan. 3 when they take on Connecticut in the International Bowl in Toronto.

“It’s just exciting knowing my last year here he’ll be here,” said junior receiver Naaman Roosevelt, the former St. Joe’s star. “When he told us you saw how excited the team was for him to be back.”

Roosevelt said Gill informed the players on Monday at practice that he was sticking around.

“Everybody was screaming, jumping up and down,” he said.

Junior tailback James Starks, who has led the Bulls in rushing the last three seasons, said Gill is a father figure to many of the players.

“He talks to everybody and comes around practice with a great attitude every day,” said Starks, the former Niagara Falls High standout. “He took the time to get to know all of us, have meetings with us. When you do something wrong, he talks to every player different. He knows how we respond. He knows us individually, and I think that’s what makes him such a great coach.”

Gill also said on Tuesday that he received a fair shot during his recent interview with Auburn and the hiring of Chizik wasn’t racially motivated, as suggested by former NBA star Charles Barkley on Monday.

“No, not at all,” Gill said. “Auburn gave me a great opportunity to interview for that job. Again, it wasn’t a [good] fit. And that’s OK. I’m happy to be here at the University at Buffalo, a great academic institution and now going to be a great football program, and a great athletic program, and obviously a great city to be in sports. And I thank all the fans and what they’ve been doing. I hope they continue to do the things they’ve been doing, coming out and watching this good football program.”