Details of Josh Heupel's Tennessee contract released
It’s fair to say some Tennessee fans weren’t thrilled by the hire of Josh Heupel to be the next leader of the football program Rocky Top.
That being said, based on the contract it took to get the former UCF coach to Knoxville, Danny White and the leadership at the school have a ton of confidence in the coach to get the football program moving in the right direction. Either that, or it took a ton of money for Tennessee to even attract a coach to Knoxville.
According to the contract released by Tennessee on Wednesday, Heupel has been given a six-year deal worth $4 million annually.
Should Tennessee be forced to move on from Heupel, the coach’s buyout is significant. If he’s let go without cause before Dec. 15, 2023, Tennessee would owe Heupel the remaining salary on his contract.
The buyout is reduced to 75 percent of the remaining contract if Heupel is let go between Dec. 15, 2023, and Dec. 15, 2025. The buyout again drops to 50 percent of the remaining contract if he is let go during the final two years of the deal.
Here are some of the bonuses included in Heupel’s contract:
- SEC Championship Game win: $300,000
- SEC Championship Game appearance: $100,000
- College Football Playoff national championship win: $500,000
- College Football Playoff national championship appearance: $400,000
- College Football Playoff appearance: $300,000
- New Year’s Six bowl appearance: $200,000
- Bowl appearance: $100,000
- National Coach of the Year Award: $100,000
- SEC Coach of the Year Award: $50,000
Where does that 4 mil a year rank him among current SEC coaches? Too lazy to look it up myself.
I like the hire, my expectations are he can get UT back to a .500 average team with a bowl game here and there. Have a fun offense that works more often than not and maybe even be able to pull an unexpected upset once in a while too. Once the sanctions are done with maybe we can rebuild properly and start the climb to relevance again.
At the 11-14 ranking. I read it somewhere else but my short-term memory won’t let me remember exactly where it’s at. Getting older is not all fun.
Better than the alternative. LOL
agreed Utah vol. Have to clear the sanctions and give him a legit chance and then move on if necessary. He can clearly coach up a QB and an offense but needs to surround himself with good recruiters (no bag men please), who are good coaches and have sec ties. I hope he retains steele as the DC. Just not impressed with ansley though I honestly dont know how much reign he was given by Pruitt. Who Heupel hires as assistants will say a lot about the outlook.
The problem is that the contract ends just about the time the sanctions probably end, based on the glacier like speed of the NCAA. Then he will need 3-4 years to rebuild the roster. 4 million a year is not bad for that, but the buyout is tough.
A fanbase that has sky-high unrealistic expectations, will hate you upon arrival, and then call for your firing two years in. Also the program that will impose sanctions on itself in order to try to get out of paying a coach’s buy out.
Can’t imagine why so many coaches weren’t interested. A true puzzler!
This just in…… UCF bosom buddies, Danny White and Josh Heupel raid the Volunteer barn in search for millions of dollars… Operation: Milk that cow
Milk that Vol!
UT must have one of those money tree’s growing there in Knoxville. The way they like to hand money out.