Mizzou head men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates has earned a bonus shortly after the action got underway for the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament — and it’s for good reason. Gates has become the first head coach in programs history to secure a victory in the NCAA Tournament after the Tigers downed the Utah State Aggies, 76-65 on Thursday in the midst of March Madness.

His 25th victory of the season meant an extra $25,000 bonus added to his contract, plus another $25,000 if Mizzou can get another when on Saturday to advance and make it to the Sweet 16. It’s been a season full of highs for a Mizzou basketball team on a strong upward trajectory, and it’s easy to get the sense that this is just the beginning under Gates.

It will be interesting to see how things play out as the Tigers prepare to take on the Princeton Tigers on Saturday. Start time for the matchup has not yet been announced.