Denver Nuggets picked up their option on Coach George Karl on Tuesday extending his contract through the 2009-10 seasons.

It dates back to January 2005 when Karl signed a six-year contract with The Nuggets option after the third year. Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke congratulates the organizing staff to make this deal happen and hailed this signature as the greatest day of the Nuggets. As for Karl he is grateful to be part of the new direction of the Nuggets. Financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

Coach Karl is 76-46 with the Nuggets and guided the team to a pair of postseason berths. He has been an outstanding 32-8 after taking over the team midway through the season 2004-05 and guided Denver to a 44-38 record and the Northwest Division title, giving to the franchise its first crown in 18 years.

The Nuggets are the fifth job as coach for Karl, 55, who did his best work with the Seattle Supersonics in the 1990s. During his tenure in Seattle his team won not less than 57 games in six straight seasons and reached the 1996 NBA Finals, only losing to the mighty Chicago Bulls. Karl has a 784-545 record in parts of 18 seasons with Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle, Milwaukee and Denver. He has not had a losing campaign since 1987-88 with Golden State. Karl, who is a disciple of Dean Smith at North Carolina, also guided Seattle in 1993 and Milwaukee in 2001 within one win of the NBA Finals.

Karl survived from a prostate cancer and played in the old ABA, where he developed a good interest for the Mile High City. During Karl’s tenure, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony has developed into one of the top young players in the NBA. But last season, Karl occasionally had some difficulties with injured forward Kenyon Martin and suspended him during Denver’s first-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.