Queensland Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has signed a 12-month contract extension that will see him remain in charge of the Super Rugby club until the end of the 2014 season.
After taking over from Phil Mooney in 2010, McKenzie guided Queensland to their first ever Super Rugby title last year in just his second season at the helm when they defeated the Crusaders 18-13 at Suncorp Stadium.
McKenzie said the amount of forward planning that he had already put into the team made it a simple decision to extend his stay with the Reds.
Chairman Rod McCall and CEO Jim Carmichael have also committed to the club for another three years.
"We've done a good job the last couple of years, but there's still a lot of work to be done and a number of challenges ahead in the current landscape," McKenzie said.
"As you've seen, we're already working around the 2014 window with the recent re-signing of Digby Ioane, Jake Schatz and Adam Wallace-Harrison."
"We're currently doing a lot of planning in and around this space and it was an easy decision to give my commitment, along with Jim and Rod, to seeing the job through."
"We have a good idea of what lies ahead and what needs to be achieved in Queensland in terms of the future success of our code and I have given my commitment to being part of it."
Carmichael said the retention of McKenzie, who is seen as the natural successor of Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, was critical to the continued success of the Reds.
"Separate to the importance of what Ewen delivers on the field, it's vitally important for our strategies to be achieved to have a head coach who understands what we're trying to build for this industry and we're very fortunate to have that in Ewen," Carmichael said.
"I haven't been in rugby very long, but I'm of the firm belief that if we were to have another coach at this stage of our plans, we wouldn't be able to achieve the same levels of penetration that we've experienced over the last two years."
"Nor would I have the same confidence that we can deliver on our next three-year strategic plan."
McKenzie previously spent six seasons coaching the NSW Waratahs before taking over at French outfit Stade Francais for two years in 2008 and 2009.