Mitchell was selling the furniture in his Toronto apartment. Was he planning a move? Nope, just looking for an upgrade.

"He said it was the same cheap stuff he'd had for three years and, if he stayed here, he was going to get some nice stuff," Colangelo said.

Colangelo and the Raptors gave Mitchell the means to refurnish today, signing him to a three-year contract with a team option for a fourth year. Financial terms were not disclosed, but general manager Bryan Colangelo said the contract puts Mitchell in "the upper echelon of coaches in the NBA."

Mitchell, whose career record is 107-139, was the NBA's lowest-paid coach last season, earning an estimated $2 million. His contract was set to expire on June 30.

"It would have been very tough for me to leave because this is a great environment to be successful in," Mitchell said. "This is the place for me."

In his third season as coach, Mitchell led the Raptors to a 47-35 record and the team's first Atlantic Division title last season. The Raptors lost to New Jersey in the first round of the playoffs.

Colangelo said re-signing Mitchell provides "continuity and stability," adding support from the locker room made it clear Mitchell was the right choice.

"It's obvious that Sam is the leader of this team," Colangelo said. "He commands respect from the players. They always seem to be prepared and ready."

At season's end, Mitchell said he intended to explore options with other teams. Colangelo won Mitchell back with an aggressive pursuit.

"The negotiations were easy," Mitchell said. "(Colangelo) didn't tiptoe around it. He went right after me. From the time my agent received the first offer, I knew Bryan Colangelo wanted me to be the coach. That made me feel good, because this is where I want to be."

Mitchell played 13 seasons in the NBA and spent two years as an assistant coach in Charlotte and Milwaukee before coming to Toronto. Although the Raptors went just 60-104 in Mitchell's first two years, he said the early adversity made him better.

"I learned to coach those first two years when we weren't as good," Mitchell said. "You had to."

Mitchell's future looked shaky when Colangelo took over as general manager in February 2006 with the Saptors stumbling to a 27-55 finish. A 2-8 start this season made things shakier still, but Colangelo stuck with him.

"Once we started to accomplish the things that we were and hitting different benchmarks along the way, it became pretty clear that Sam had command of this team."

Assistant coaches Jim Todd, Alex English and Jay Triano remain unsigned.

"I want all those guys back," Mitchell said. "Those guys are a big part of our success."

With his head coach in the fold, Colangelo said he'll move on to the assistants.