Walsall boss Mat Sadler has signed a new contract to run until the summer of 2028.
The 39-year-old has guided the Saddlers to the top of League Two this season and they are currently 10 points clear of Crewe Alexandra and Salford City.
Sadler had two spells with the club as a player and was appointed head coach in May 2023 after a period in interim charge following Michael Flynn’s sacking.
“It was an easy decision to get a new deal sorted,” he told the club website.
“I want to continue the hard work that we’re putting in. It’s a very stable football club, which can’t be said about a lot in this country.
“My belief is that success comes with that stable footing, that’s where we want to grow and build from and this is just a continuation of that.”
Walsall have won their past seven league games and are unbeaten in 14, a run stretching back to early October.
They are hoping to return to League One next season after six years in the fourth tier.
Sadler’s efforts had seen him linked to several vacancies elsewhere – the latest as successor to Wayne Rooney at Championship side Plymouth Argyle.
But he dismissed speculation about his future last month, insisting he had a “hell of a job” at Walsall.
“Mat is an outstanding professional and an excellent, thoughtful coach,” said co-chairman Ben Boycott.
“Most importantly, he is an outstanding person of high integrity, who clearly demonstrates every day the values and character that we want to define the culture at the football club.”
Following the postponement of their 4 January game at Cheltenham Town, Walsall return to action at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Saturday against struggling Tranmere Rovers.