Dale Sveum is no longer interim manager of the Brewers.

And, he won't be manager in 2009, either.

The Brewers made that official tonight. While announcing a three-year contract extension for general manager Doug Melvin, the club also revealed that Sveum has been eliminated from consideration for the managerial position and hitting coach Jim Skaalen has been eliminated, period.

"Dale is a solid baseball man," Melvin said of Sveum, who replaced Ned Yost with 12 games left in the regular season and guided the Brewers to their first playoff berth since 1982.

"He is a loyal and hard-working individual who will get a high recommendation from me to our new manager to remain on the coaching staff. This decision allows us to widen our search to experienced managerial candidates."

Melvin, who interviewed Sveum this week in Arizona, said Thursday that he expanded the pool of potential managerial candidates in an effort to leave no stone unturned.

Melvin has declined to name specific candidates, but is believed that Cubs broadcaster Bob Brenly, ESPN analyst Buck Showalter and Boston TV analyst Ken Macha have expressed interest in the job.

All three have intriguing qualifications. Brenly, who guided Arizona to a World Series title in 2001, has intimate knowledge of the rival Cubs' roster and has been a close observer of the Central Division.

Showalter, who has managed the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Rangers, was Melvin's minor-league teammate in the Yankees system.

Macha was Melvin's first choice to be the Brewers' manager in 2003, but the club settled on Ned Yost when Macha replaced Art Howe as skipper of the A's.

Other potential candidates include Willie Randolph, who was ousted as the Mets skipper this season and Jim Tracy, who has managed in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

Before the Brewers could focus on their managerial search, they had to shore up Melvin's status. They did that by adding a year to his contract, which was slated to expire after the 2009 season.

"This season, we reached a significant milestone by advancing to the postseason, and this could not have been accomplished without the efforts of Doug Melvin and his staff," said Brewers chairman and principal owner Mark Attanasio said in a statement.

"Since I first began working with Doug four years ago, one constant has been his unfailing leadership as we have worked toward building a consistently competitive team. He is one of the most respected individuals in the game, and we are proud to have him as a key member of the Milwaukee Brewers."

Melvin, who has been with the Brewers six years, said: "I appreciate that Mark Attanasio and the ownership group have shown confidence in me in extending my contract.

"It was the goal for me and my staff to change the culture and performance of the Brewers organization. Now I am energized to sustain the success for the city and the great fans that supported us through the rebuilding years. To show how I feel about the community, my family and I are donating twenty-five thousand dollars a year to charitable causes in the city of Milwaukee."

Skaalen, who had worked in the Brewers' farm system before spending the past two seasons with the big-league club, paid a price for the team's offensive struggles down the stretch.

"We appreciate all the hard work and dedication that Jim brought to the organization," said Melvin. "Jim asked to remain with the Brewers and we will explore every opportunity to grant this request."

The Brewers did not comment on the future of pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Billy Castro or first base coach Ed Sedar. Announcements on their fate, along with one about a potential manager, could happen as early as next week.