Josh Heupel led Tennessee to a No. 1 ranking last season, and finished with an 11-win campaign. After that, the Vols have rewarded the coach with a raise and a contract extension.

Heupel received a contract extension through January 2029, Athletics Director Danny White announced on Tuesday. Chris Low of ESPN reported that Heupel’s new deal will pay him $9 million a year and extend him through the 2028 season. Heupel is now in the top tier of SEC coaches by pay. Only Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Jimbo Fisher and Brian Kelly make more. Heupel was hired at $4 million and bumped to $5 million last year.

“The results over Josh’s first two seasons speak for themselves,” White said in a release. “He and his staff have energized both our football program and our fanbase with an aggressive brand of football, a competitive culture that creates leaders and a relentless approach to raising the bar every single day. Despite a brief period of dormancy, Tennessee never surrendered its status as a college football powerhouse. We just needed an innovative leader like Josh Heupel to reignite the spark. It’s been fun to crash the party, but as Josh said after our Orange Bowl triumph, the best is yet to come.”