What is the contract info for each Kentucky coach entering the 2025-26 season?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UK football’s Mark Stoops leads the way for Kentucky coaches in 2025-26 salary.
- Basketball coaches Kenny Brooks and Mark Pope also have million-dollar deals with UK.
- Only two head coaches at Kentucky are still working on their original contracts.
Another athletics season for the University of Kentucky is underway.
UK emerged victorious in its first two official athletic contests of the new school year, with the Kentucky women’s soccer team picking up a pair of home wins against Jackson State, 4-0, on Thursday night and West Georgia, 7-0, on Sunday afternoon.
Plenty more on-field action will arrive in the coming months as the 2025-26 season continues for the Wildcats.
The start of a new athletic year is also a chance for Kentucky fans to become reacquainted with the head coaches of each UK varsity program — and their current contract situations.
So far, there have been no head coaching changes for any Kentucky program between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. This comes after last offseason saw the arrival of new head coaches for two of UK’s most prominent sports: men’s and women’s basketball.
From Blair Bergmann (STUNT) to Gator Todd (men’s golf), here’s a look at each head coach at Kentucky, their contract outlook and salary information, and their respective coaching histories at UK.
Coaches are listed in alphabetical order, sorted by their last name. The complete list of Kentucky athletic coaching contracts can be found here.
UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart’s contract calls for him to lead Kentucky’s athletics department through June 2028, although the contract contains a clause that would allow Barnhart to move into a “special assistant to the president” role starting next July.
Blair Bergmann
Sport: STUNT.
Bio: Bergmann has been the only head coach of Kentucky’s varsity STUNT program. A head-to-head competition between two teams with a focus on the athletic and technical aspects of cheer, UK’s varsity STUNT team began competition in February 2022.
Bergmann, who cheered in college at Alabama, first came to UK in 2020 as an assistant cheerleading coach, then later took over as the head coach of UK’s then-club STUNT team. Bergmann has completed four seasons as the program’s leader.
Notable events: Kentucky has enjoyed strong success during its early days of fielding a varsity STUNT program. The Wildcats have finished as the national runner-up in three consecutive seasons. California Baptist has won five straight national championships in STUNT.
Last season: In 2025, UK set school records for the most wins in a season (29) and the longest winning streak in a season (19). The Wildcats also won 12 games by shutout. Bergmann’s squad posted a 29-3 record in 2025, with all of its losses coming to national champion California Baptist.
Contract details: Bergmann’s contract with UK runs through June 2026.
In August 2023, Bergmann signed a one-year extension with Kentucky to establish the current length of his deal.
For each contract year, Bergmann receives a base salary of $85,000. Bergmann also receives $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements. This means Bergmann makes $90,000 each contract year as the UK STUNT head coach.
If UK wins the national championship in STUNT, Bergmann would receive an extra $5,000. Bergmann could also receive an extra $2,500 if STUNT team members hit certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Bergmann without cause during the life of his contract, UK would owe Bergmann all of his remaining base salary.
Golda Borst
Sport: Women’s golf.
Bio: A native of Sweden, Borst was hired as the Kentucky women’s golf head coach in 2010. Borst played college golf in the SEC at Tennessee and was previously an assistant women’s golf coach at LSU.
Notable events: With Borst as the head coach, the Wildcats as a team have earned 10 NCAA regional appearances and eight tournament championships. UK reached the NCAA championship finals in 2021.
From an individual standpoint, recent golfers such as Jensen Castle and Laney Frye have excelled.
Castle won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur and played three times in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Castle finished her five-year UK career second in Kentucky women’s golf history in career par-or-better rounds (54).
Frye was the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Stroke Play co-champion and twice played in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Frye owns the two best single-season scoring averages in UK women’s golf history, and she is the program’s all-time leader in career par-or-better rounds (64).
Last season: Kentucky finished in 11th place at the SEC championships. The Wildcats weren’t selected as a team to compete in the NCAA Tournament, but senior team captain Marta Lopez Echevarria was chosen to play as an individual qualifier.
Echevarria finished in a tie for 30th in her NCAA regional, which was played at Keene Trace in Nicholasville.
Over the summer, rising junior Cathryn Brown defeated rising sophomore C.A. Carter to win the Kentucky Women’s Amateur Championship. Rising sophomore Karlie Campbell also had notable success on the links this offseason, qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
Contract details: Borst’s contract with Kentucky has changed frequently in recent years. Updates to her contract have gone into effect in October 2022, September 2023, October 2024 and earlier this month.
Borst’s deal with UK now runs through June 2029.
For the 2025-26 year, Borst will be paid a base salary of $200,000. That amount increases to $210,000 for the 2026-27 year and $220,000 for both 2027-28 and 2028-29.
Borst also receives $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
Borst’s contract with Kentucky also features several performance incentives:
- If UK wins an SEC regular season or SEC Tournament championship, Borst would receive $20,000.
- If UK participates in the NCAA Tournament, Borst would receive $10,000.
- If UK reaches the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, Borst would receive $25,000.
- If UK reaches the NCAA Tournament semifinals, Borst would receive $30,000.
- If UK wins the NCAA championship in women’s golf, Borst would receive $35,000.
These incentives are not cumulative, and Borst is to receive only the one equal to the highest amount.
Borst could also receive a $2,500 bonus if UK women’s golfers hit certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Borst without cause during the life of her contract, it would owe Borst all of her remaining base salary.
Kenny Brooks
Sport: Women’s basketball.
Bio: Formerly the women’s basketball coach at James Madison and Virginia Tech, Brooks is fresh off his first season leading the UK program.
Brooks arrived in Lexington with plenty of top coaching credentials. He led Virginia Tech to the 2023 NCAA Tournament Final Four and the 2024 ACC regular-season championship.
In 23 seasons as a head coach, Brooks has a 540-212 record and has reached the NCAA Tournament on 11 occasions.
Notable events: Brooks’ first season at Kentucky was a success. The Wildcats put together an impressive 23-8 record and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. UK was a 4 seed for Brooks’ first March Madness at the helm, and the Wildcats reached the round of 32 for the first time since 2021.
Last season: Kentucky’s first season under Brooks included a 15-3 home record at Memorial Coliseum and an 11-6 mark against fellow SEC opponents.
Kentucky hosted NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games at Memorial Coliseum. UK defeated Liberty by one point in the opening round before losing to Kansas State, also by one point and in overtime, in the second round.
Standouts from Brooks’ first Kentucky team included graduate student guard Georgia Amoore (19.6 points and 6.9 assists), sophomore center Clara Strack (15.4 points and 9.7 rebounds) and redshirt senior guard Dazia Lawrence (12.9 points).
Amoore was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft but suffered a right ACL injury and will miss the entire 2025 WNBA season. Lawrence is about to begin her professional career overseas in Kosovo.
Strack is expected to be one of the top contributors to this season’s UK squad.
Contract details: Brooks’ contract with UK runs through March 2029.
Between base salary pay and multimedia agreements and endorsements through UK, Brooks is set to be paid the following amounts for each future season:
- 2025-26: $1.4 million.
- 2026-27: $1.5 million.
- 2027-28: $1.7 million.
- 2028-29: $1.8 million.
If Kentucky wins at least a share of the SEC regular-season championship under Brooks’ guidance, he will get a $75,000 bonus. If UK wins the SEC Tournament with Brooks as the head coach, he will get a $50,000 bonus.
Brooks’ contract with Kentucky also contains non-cumulative bonuses that are on the table for the following on-court results:
- Reaching the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 ($75,000).
- Reaching the Elite Eight ($150,000).
- Reaching the Final Four ($250,000).
- Winning the NCAA Tournament ($500,000).
Brooks’ contract also includes a pair of potential $25,000 bonuses if UK women’s basketball players reach certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Brooks without cause during the life of his contract, it would owe Brooks 75% of his remaining salary.
If Brooks were to leave Kentucky during the life of his contract, he could owe the school money.
If Brooks were to leave before April 1, 2026, he would owe Kentucky $750,000. That amount decreases to $500,000 if Brooks were to leave the school between March 31, 2026, and April 1, 2027.
If Brooks were to leave UK between March 31, 2027, and April 1, 2028, he would have to pay the school $250,000. Should Brooks opt to leave Kentucky after March 31, 2028, there would be no payment due to the school.
Notably, these potential payment amounts from Brooks to Kentucky would decrease by 50% if Barnhart is no longer UK’s athletics director.
Johan Cedergren
Sport: Men’s soccer.
Bio: Cedergren, who is originally from Sweden, played college soccer at Cincinnati and worked in the financial industry for several years before getting his start as a college coach.
After five years as an assistant coach and an associate head coach at Dartmouth, Cedergren was hired at Kentucky in December 2011.
Notable events: Cedergren has built Kentucky into a respected NCAA men’s soccer program.
This includes UK’s best-ever NCAA Tournament run in 2018, when the Cats reached the Elite Eight. In 2022, UK posted an undefeated season that included both the Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament championships, and being named the No. 1 overall seed for that year’s NCAA Tournament. UK lost in that year’s Sweet 16.
Last season: UK went a disappointing 6-6-6 (W-L-D) last season and failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.
Contract details: Cedergren signed a contract extension with Kentucky in September 2024. His contract now runs through June 2029.
For the 2025-26 year, Cedergren will receive a base salary of $280,000. That amount increases to $290,000 for 2026-27, $300,000 for 2027-28 and $310,000 for 2028-29.
Cedergren also receives an additional $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
Several on-field performance incentives exist for Cedergren as part of his contract:
- If Kentucky wins the conference regular season or tournament championship, Cedergren can earn $5,000 for each accomplishment.
- By reaching the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Cedergren would receive $10,000.
- By reaching the Elite Eight, Cedergren would receive $15,000.
- By reaching the College Cup (the NCAA Final Four), Cedergren would receive $20,000.
- If Kentucky wins the NCAA championship, Cedergren would receive $30,000.
The NCAA Tournament-related incentives are not cumulative, and Cedergren is to receive only the one equal to the highest amount. The conference-related incentives are separate.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus on the table for Cedergren if UK men’s soccer players reach certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Cedergren without cause during the life of his contract, UK would owe Cedergren all of his remaining base salary.
Troy Fabiano
Sport: Women’s soccer.
Bio: Fabiano is now in his fourth season of leading the UK women’s soccer program. Before he arrived in Lexington, Fabiano spent seven seasons as the head coach at Milwaukee.
Notable events: Fabiano has been the driving force behind a revitalization of the Kentucky program. Last year, Kentucky qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. Also for the first time in a decade, the Wildcats advanced from the first round of the national postseason.
Last season: Fabiano led the Wildcats to an 11-5-5 (W-L-D) record that included a regular-season win over No. 9 UCLA and an NCAA Tournament first-round win against West Virginia in penalty kicks.
For only the second time, Kentucky earned a national seed for the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky’s 11 wins last season were the most for the program since 2014. The Wildcats were also undefeated at home, posting a 9-0-4 mark in matches played at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington.
UK is already two matches into its 2025 season with home wins against Jackson State and West Georgia.
Contract details: Earlier this year, Fabiano agreed to a reworked contract with Kentucky. Fabiano’s new deal with the school runs through June 2029.
Fabiano will make $210,000 in base salary for the 2025-26 year, $220,000 in base salary for 2026-27, $220,000 in base salary for 2027-28 and $225,000 in base salary for 2028-29.
Fabiano also receives $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
The non-cumulative performance incentives available to Fabiano include:
- If UK wins the SEC regular season or SEC Tournament championship, Fabiano would get $10,000.
- If UK qualifies for the NCAA Tournament, Fabiano would get $10,000.
- If UK reaches the Sweet 16, Fabiano would get $15,000.
- If UK advances to the College Cup (NCAA Final Four), Fabiano would get $20,000.
- If UK wins the NCAA championship, Fabiano would get $30,000.
If Kentucky were to fire Fabiano without cause during the life of his contract, UK would owe Fabiano all of his remaining base salary.
Tim Garrison
Sport: Women’s gymnastics.
Bio: Formerly an assistant coach at Nebraska, Garrison has completed 14 seasons as the head coach at Kentucky.
Notable events: Under Garrison, Kentucky made its team debut at the NCAA championships in 2018. Under Garrison’s direction, five-year standout Raena Worley excelled for the Wildcats and completed her college career as the second-most decorated gymnast in UK history. Worley, a 13-time All-American, joined the UK program as an assistant coach last season.
Garrison’s wife, Rachel, is the associate head coach of the UK gymnastics team.
Last season: Kentucky reached the NCAA Pennsylvania Regional Final but didn’t advance as a team to the NCAA championship.
Garrison did send two individuals to the national championships. Isabella Magnelli — a seven-time All-American honoree during her five-year college career — finished in a tie for ninth place on the balance beam. Creslyn Brose, a sophomore, tied for 15th on floor exercise.
Contract details: Garrison’s contract with Kentucky runs through June 2027.
He receives an annual base salary of $220,000. Garrison also receives $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
There are several non-cumulative bonuses on the table for Garrison. These include:
- A $30,000 bonus for winning the SEC championship.
- A $15,000 bonus for participating in the NCAA round of 16.
- A $25,000 bonus for participating in the NCAA semifinals, which also means a top-eight national finish.
- A $30,000 bonus for participating in the NCAA national finals, which also means a top-four national finish.
- A $35,000 bonus if UK wins the national championship in gymnastics.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus available to Garrison if UK gymnastics team members reach certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Garrison without cause during the life of his contract, UK would owe Garrison all of his remaining base salary.
Lonnie Greene
Sport: Cross country, track and field.
Bio: Greene, who is from the Bahamas and graduated from Murray State in 1989, was hired as the UK cross country and track and field head coach in summer 2018.
Before arriving in Lexington, Greene was the head coach of Purdue’s men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams for six seasons.
Notable events: In 2022, the Kentucky women’s team finished in third place at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, equaling the best team finish at that competition in school history. Outdoors, the UK women’s team also finished in third that year.
With Greene as the head coach, several prolific track athletes have passed through Lexington, including Abby Steiner (who won three NCAA 200-meter championships and set a plethora of SEC, collegiate and American records) and Masai Russell, who won the gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Russell also won the 100-meter hurdles title this summer at the U.S. Outdoor Championships.
Last season: The Kentucky men’s track and field team recorded its best finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in program history, sharing eighth place with Florida and Ole Miss. Central to this success was then-junior Carlie Makarawu winning gold in the 200-meter race. The UK women’s team didn’t score a point at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
In the NCAA Indoor Championships, the men’s team was 16th. This finish was highlighted by Makarawu also winning the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter race. The women’s team finished 50th.
On the cross country front, the Wildcats scored a pair of race wins last season courtesy of then-sophomore Ed Bird and then-freshman Collins Kiprop Kipngok. Bird won the 8k race at the Gans Creek Classic in 23:07.6, which broke the meet and course record. Kiprop Kipngok won the 8k race at the Bradley Pink Classic.
A native of Kenya, Kiprop Kipngok went on to compete in the NCAA Cross Country Championship race and was 187th after finishing the 10k race in 30:38.6.
Contract details: Last summer, Greene reworked his contract with Kentucky. The deal runs through June 2029. Greene will receive the following base salary amounts each year:
- 2025-26: $410,000.
- 2026-27: $435,000.
- 2027-28: $460,000.
- 2028-29: $485,000.
Greene also receives $15,000 each contract year from Kentucky’s multimedia deals and endorsements.
Greene’s contract with Kentucky also calls for him to be paid a retention bonus on specific dates on which he is still the head coach at UK.
- Since Greene was still the head coach at UK on Aug. 1 of this year, he will receive a payment of $75,000.
- If Greene is still the head coach at UK on Aug. 1, 2026, he will receive a payment of $75,000.
- If Greene is still the head coach at UK on Aug. 1, 2027, he will receive a payment of $100,000.
- If Greene is still the head coach at UK on Aug. 1, 2028, he will receive a payment of $100,000.
- If Greene is still the head coach at UK on June 30, 2029, he will receive a payment of $100,000.
Greene’s contract also includes potential bonuses based on finishes in NCAA and SEC competition, as well as for academic benchmarks reached by his teams.
If Kentucky were to fire Greene without cause during the life of his contract, UK would owe Greene “all prorated amounts for (his) base salary and media and endorsements” for the rest of the contract.
If Greene were to leave Kentucky without cause during the life of his contract, he would have 60 days (from the effective date of termination) to pay UK “an amount equal to the prorated base salary and media and endorsements that would otherwise have been paid” to him during the remainder of the contract.
Earlier this summer, the Herald-Leader reported that Hakon DeVries, an assistant cross country and track coach at Kentucky, was suspended pending an investigation into his conduct by UK’s Office of Equal Opportunity, which is responsible for reviewing discrimination and harassment complaints on campus.
Shelley Jaudon
Sport: Women’s tennis.
Bio: Jaudon has completed two seasons leading the UK women’s tennis program. Jaudon was hired in May 2023, after former longtime Kentucky coach Carlos Drada resigned after 18 seasons.
Before coming to Kentucky, Jaudon was the head coach at James Madison for five years.
Notable events: In two combined seasons as the Kentucky coach, Jaudon’s teams are 23-28.
Kentucky last qualified as a team for the NCAA Tournament in 2021, when the Cats reached the second round.
Last season: UK posted a 14-13 overall record that included a 6-11 mark against SEC foes. The Wildcats reached the second round of the SEC Tournament.
Contract details: Jaudon reworked her contract with Kentucky last fall. Her contract now runs through June 2029.
For each contract year, Jaudon will receive $150,000 in base salary. In addition, Jaudon receives $5,000 each contract year from UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
The following performance incentives are available in Jaudon’s contract:
- If UK wins the SEC regular season or SEC Tournament championship, Jaudon would get $20,000.
- If UK reaches the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, Jaudon would get $20,000.
- If UK reaches the quarterfinals, Jaudon would get $25,000.
- If UK reaches the semifinals, Jaudon would get $30,000.
- If UK wins the NCAA team championship, Jaudon would get $35,000.
These incentives are not cumulative, and Jaudon is to receive only the one equal to the highest amount.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus available to Jaudon if UK women’s tennis players reach certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Jaudon without cause during the life of her contract, UK would owe Jaudon all of her remaining base salary.
Cedric Kauffmann
Sport: Men’s tennis.
Bio: Kauffmann was the first tennis player to be inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame. A native of France, he was promoted from UK’s associate head coach to the program’s head coach in summer 2012.
Notable events: In 2022, Kentucky reached the NCAA Tournament team title match for the first time.
Under Kauffmann’s direction, Kentucky has made nine straight NCAA Tournament appearances and 11 in total. In four of the past five seasons, Kentucky has hosted NCAA Tournament matches as a top-16 national seed.
Several former Kentucky men’s tennis players are currently blossoming in the professional ranks. Gabriel Diallo is now a top-50 player in the world and won his first ATP Tour title earlier this year at the Libema Open, a grass court event in The Netherlands. Diallo and former UK teammate Liam Draxl (world No. 114) were both named to the Team Canada squad that will play in a home Davis Cup match in September against Israel.
Last season: The Wildcats went 17-12 overall and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They were 14-0 in home matches at the Hilary J. Boone Varsity Tennis Complex.
Kentucky went 7-7 against SEC opponents. UK defeated Old Dominion in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing in the second round to top overall seed and eventual national champion Wake Forest.
Then-sophomore Jack Loutit qualified for the NCAA men’s tennis singles tournament but lost in the opening round.
Contract details: Kauffmann has reworked his contract with Kentucky in each of the past three years.
The most recent changes to Kauffmann’s deal came last fall. Kauffmann’s contract now runs through June 2029.
Kauffmann will make the following amount in base salary each year:
- 2025-26, $303,000.
- 2026-27, $306,000.
- 2027-28, $309,000.
- 2028-29, $312,000.
Kauffmann also receives $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
Kauffmann also has several potential performance-related bonuses on the table:
- If UK wins the SEC regular season or SEC Tournament championship, Kauffmann is to receive $25,000.
- If UK reaches the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, Kauffmann is to receive $25,000.
- If UK reaches the NCAA semifinals, Kauffmann is to receive $30,000.
- If UK wins the NCAA team championship, Kauffmann is to receive $35,000.
These incentives are not cumulative, and Kauffmann is to receive only the one equal to the highest amount.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus available to Kauffmann based on UK men’s tennis players reaching certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Kauffmann without cause during the life of his contract, it would owe Kauffmann all of his remaining base salary.
Rachel Lawson
Sport: Softball.
Bio: Lawson is one of the longest-tenured head coaches at Kentucky: She was hired in July 2007 after spending three seasons as the head coach at Western Kentucky.
Lawson remains only the third head coach in UK softball history.
Notable events: Kentucky’s only trip to the Women’s College World Series came under Lawson’s guidance in 2014.
Earlier this summer, recent ex-Cat Erin Coffel — the program’s all-time leader in home runs (68) — was named Most Valuable Player of the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Softball League. Coffel also set top marks at UK in slugging percentage (.785), RBI (212) and walks (155).
Last season: The Wildcats went 31-28 overall during the 2025 season. Despite a 7-18 mark against SEC opponents, Kentucky still qualified for its 16th straight NCAA Tournament under Lawson’s guidance. Kentucky has posted at least 30 wins in each of the past 16 seasons.
The Wildcats were eliminated in the Clemson Regional of the NCAA Tournament by the host Tigers.
Contract details: Lawson last reworked her contract with Kentucky in fall 2023. Her deal runs through June 2028.
For the 2025-26 and 2026-27 years, Lawson will receive a base salary of $300,000. For 2027-28, Lawson will receive a base salary of $400,000.
Lawson also receives $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
Lawson has several performance incentives as part of her current contract:
- If UK wins the SEC regular season or tournament championship, Lawson will receive $40,000.
- If UK reaches the super-regional round of the NCAA Tournament, Lawson will receive $30,000.
- If UK reaches the Women’s College World Series, Lawson will receive $40,000.
- If UK makes it to the championship series of the Women’s College World Series, Lawson will receive $45,000.
- If UK wins the national championship, Lawson will receive $50,000.
These incentives are not cumulative, and Lawson is to receive only the one equal to the highest amount.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus on the table for Lawson if UK softball players reach certain academic benchmarks.
Lawson’s contract also calls for her to be paid a longevity bonus on specific dates if Lawson is still the head coach at UK.
- Since Lawson was still the head coach at UK on Aug. 1 of this year, Lawson will receive $100,000.
- If Lawson is still the head coach at UK on Aug. 1, 2026, she will receive $100,000.
- If Lawson is still the head coach at UK on Aug. 1, 2027, she will receive $100,000.
If Kentucky were to fire Lawson without cause during the life of her contract, UK would owe Lawson all of her remaining base salary.
Bret Lundgaard
Sport: Men’s and women’s swimming and diving.
Bio: Formerly the Princeton women’s swimming and diving head coach, Lundgaard was hired by UK in July 2023.
He previously spent five years as an assistant coach and the director of recruiting at Tennessee.
Notable events: Lundgaard replaced former swimming and diving head coach Lars Jorgensen, whose tenure with the program became marred by scandal and litigation.
Jorgensen is accused in a federal lawsuit of sexual abuse by former UK swimmers who later worked under him as assistant swim coaches. Jorgensen has denied wrongdoing and said his relationships with the swimmers were consensual. That suit is pending.
UK paid Jorgensen $75,000 to resign in June 2023 in a deal requiring public confidentiality by all parties, while he was under investigation inside the university on allegations of sexual abuse and NCAA training violations. Some of the sexual abuse allegations included those later mentioned in the current lawsuit.
Last summer, the NCAA announced that the UK swimming and diving program had been placed on two years of probation as part of a negotiated settlement with the university resulting from rules violations. That NCAA case is separate from the lawsuit.
Last season: Kentucky finished ninth at the men’s SEC championships and 11th at the women’s SEC championships.
Kentucky sent three women — Abby Devereaux, Bridget Engel and Grace Frericks — to the NCAA championships. Devereaux finished 44th in the platform dive. Engel was 22nd in the 100 breaststroke and 27th in the 200 breaststroke. Frericks finished 69th in the 50 freestyle, 47th in the 100 backstroke and 34th in the 200 backstroke.
UK also sent four men — Sam Duncan, Carson Hick, Ryan Merani and Levi Sandidge — to the NCAA championships. Duncan finished 42nd in the 1-meter dive. Hick became the fastest 1,650 freestyle swimmer in UK history and finished in sixth place in that event. Hick was also 11th in the 500 freestyle. Merani finished 42nd in the 200 individual medley, 25th in the 400 individual medley and 26th in the 200 butterfly. Sandidge was eighth in the 1,650 freestyle and 28th in the 500 freestyle.
As a team, the UK men were 20th at the NCAA championships, the program’s best finish in the event since 2010.
Contract details: Lundgaard is still working under the original contract he signed in September 2023.
UK men’s basketball coach Mark Pope is the only other varsity head coach at UK who is still working on an original contract with the school. (Women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks is also working on what is essentially his original contract with UK, but Brooks’ contract had to be amended due to a clerical error.)
Lundgaard’s contract at UK runs through June 2028.
- For the 2025-26 year, Lundgaard will receive $196,200 in base salary.
- For the 2026-27 year, Lundgaard will receive $203,700 in base salary.
- For the 2027-28 year, Lundgaard will receive $211,200 in base salary.
Each contract year, Lundgaard will also receive $5,000 from multimedia rights and other “university agreements.”
Lundgaard’s contract includes several potential performance bonuses. Some of those include a bonus for an SEC meet team championship ($20,000) and a first-place team finish in an NCAA championship ($35,000). These bonuses are not cumulative, but Lundgaard can earn separate bonuses for each of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, along with the additional bonus for winning the SEC meet team championship.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus available to Lundgaard (for each of the men’s and women’s teams) if UK swimmers and divers reach certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky was to fire Lundgaard without cause during his contract, the school would owe Lundgaard all of his remaining base salary.
Nick Mingione
Sport: Baseball.
Bio: Mingione was hired at Kentucky in June 2016 following a long spell at Mississippi State, where he rose to the role of assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Mingione was previously an assistant coach at Kentucky for two seasons in 2006 and 2007.
Notable events: Kentucky’s only three trips to the super regional stage of the NCAA Tournament have all come under Mingione in 2017, 2023 and 2024. UK’s first trip to the College World Series came in 2024 after hosting and winning a super regional in Lexington for the first time.
Kentucky has won at least 31 games in each of the past four seasons. Mingione is seven wins away from his 300th victory as the UK head coach.
Last season: After reaching the College World Series for the first time in 2024, Kentucky was unable to match that mark earlier this year.
The Wildcats went 31-26 during the 2025 season, going 13-18 against SEC opponents and losing in the Clemson Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky eliminated top seed and regional host Clemson in the national postseason before being knocked out by West Virginia.
For the first time, Kentucky has made an NCAA Tournament regional in three straight seasons.
Contract details: As you would expect given his program’s current run of success, Mingione has reworked his contract with UK several times recently. Mingione’s current deal runs through June 2030.
Mingione receives an automatic one-year contract extension each time Kentucky qualifies for the NCAA Tournament. This contract element, which went into place last fall, means that because UK made the NCAA Tournament last season, Mingione got another year added to his deal.
If Kentucky were to return to the College World Series, another year would also be added to the end of Mingione’s deal. This means that if UK were to make it back to the College World Series with Mingione’s current contract in place, Mingione would get two years added to the end of his deal.
Each contract year, Mingione is paid $400,000 in base salary.
Mingione also receives money each year from UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements. For the 2025-26 year, Mingione will be paid $875,000 for these agreements.
This amount increases to $975,000 for 2026-27; $1,175,000 for 2027-28; $1,375,000 for 2028-29; and $1,575,000 for 2029-30. For each year that’s added to Mingione’s contract as a result of either making the NCAA Tournament or reaching the College World Series, the amount paid to him for these agreements will increase by $200,000 compared to the previous year.
Mingione’s contract with Kentucky calls for several potential performance-based incentives.
Mingione would earn $50,000 for reaching an NCAA Tournament super regional as a visiting team, $100,000 for hosting a super regional, $200,000 for reaching the College World Series and $250,000 for winning the College World Series. These incentives are not cumulative, and Mingione is only to be paid the largest one earned in a season.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus Mingione could earn if UK baseball players reach certain academic benchmarks.
According to the contract, if UK fires Mingione without cause during the life of his deal, the school would owe Mingione his full remaining salary (both Mingione’s base salary and his money due from UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements).
If Mingione were to leave Kentucky without cause during the life of his contract, he would have 60 days (from the effective date of termination) to pay UK “an amount equal to the prorated base salary and media and endorsements that would otherwise have been paid” to him during the remainder of his contract.
Notably, this potential payment from Mingione to Kentucky would decrease by 50% if Barnhart is no longer UK’s athletics director.
Harry Mullins
Sport: Rifle.
Bio: Mullins, who was born in Germany, is one of the great figures in Kentucky athletics history. He competed in rifle at UK — winning the SEC smallbore championship in 1983, 1984 and 1986 — before becoming the program’s head coach in 1987.
Unsurprisingly, Mullins is the longest-termed head coach currently at Kentucky.
Notable events: Mullins has overseen four national championships as the head coach of UK’s coed rifle team, in 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022. He is the second UK coach, along with Adolph Rupp, to win a quartet of national titles with the Wildcats.
Mullins has also overseen several Olympic gold medalists during his time at UK, including Will Shaner (2020 Tokyo), Nancy Napolski-Johnson (2000 Sydney) and Henri Junghanel (2016 Rio de Janeiro).
Mullins is about to begin his 38th season as coach of the UK rifle program.
Last season: Kentucky finished second at the 2025 NCAA championships, which marked the program’s seventh national runner-up finish. UK finished just one point behind national champion West Virginia. Last season’s NCAA championships were held inside Memorial Coliseum on the UK campus.
Contract details: Mullins’ contract with UK runs through June 2030. Mullins is set to make the following base salary in future years:
- 2025-26: $155,000.
- 2026-27: $160,000.
- 2027-28: $165,000.
- 2028-29: $170,000.
- 2029-2030: $175,000.
Mullins receives $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
Several performance incentives are in place for Mullins. This includes a potential bonus of $25,000 if Kentucky wins the NCAA championship.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus available to Mullins if UK rifle team members reach certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Mullins without cause during the life of his contract, UK would owe Mullins all of his remaining base salary.
Mark Pope
Sport: Men’s basketball.
Bio: A member of UK’s 1996 NCAA championship team, Pope is one season into being a head coach at his alma mater.
Pope previously coached for four seasons at Utah Valley and five seasons at BYU before being hired at Kentucky in April 2024 to replace John Calipari, who departed for Arkansas after 15 seasons in Lexington.
Before his time as a college head coach, Pope had stints as an assistant at BYU, Wake Forest and Georgia following a professional playing career.
Notable events: Pope’s first Kentucky basketball team firmly met expectations.
The Wildcats played an invigorating style of basketball, particularly on the offensive end, on their way to a 24-12 overall record and a trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. This marked UK’s first appearance in the second weekend of March Madness since 2019.
Last season: During his debut season as UK head coach, Pope scored notable wins against Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Florida (the eventual national champion) and Tennessee (twice).
Pope also collected the first two NCAA Tournament victories of his coaching career, and he did so with a brand-new roster of players, none of whom had played at UK before.
The 2024-25 UK team set a school record for 3-pointers made in a season with 341.
It’s worth noting that Calipari’s first team at Arkansas weathered some significant early-season struggles to also reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas defeated Kentucky in Rupp Arena in the teams’ only meeting of the season.
Contract details: Pope, along with swimming and diving head coach Bret Lundgaard, is one of only two UK head coaches still working under their original contracts with the school. (Women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks is essentially doing the same, but his contract needed to be amended due to a clerical error.)
Pope made $5 million last season in his first year at Kentucky. Because Kentucky made it to the Sweet 16, Pope’s contract was automatically extended by one year.
This means Pope still has a five-year contract to coach at Kentucky. His salary is set to increase by $250,000 each year for the life of the deal, so Pope is set to make $5.25 million for 2025-26; $5.5 million for 2026-27; $5.75 million for 2027-28; $6 million for 2028-29; and $6.25 million for 2029-30.
Pope receives $400,000 each year in base salary, with the rest of the money coming as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
If UK continues to reach the Sweet 16 on Pope’s current contract, then his deal will continue to be automatically extended by an additional season, with $250,000 added to his salary for each extra year as long as there are no more than five seasons remaining on the contract at that time. The extra $250,000 in salary would come from multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
Other on-court bonuses available for Pope include receiving $100,000 for an SEC regular-season championship and $50,000 if the Wildcats win the SEC Tournament.
There are also two separate $25,000 bonuses for Pope to earn if UK men’s basketball players reach certain academic benchmarks.
Further potential monetary bonuses for Pope include earning $50,000 for a trip to the Sweet 16 (which he earned last season), $100,000 for a trip to the Elite Eight, $250,000 for a Final Four appearance and $500,000 for a national championship. These potential bonuses are not cumulative.
If Pope is fired by UK without cause before the end of his contract, Kentucky will owe him 75% of the remaining compensation on his deal.
Pope would also owe Kentucky money if he were to leave the school without cause during the life of his contract.
If Barnhart is still UK’s athletics director when Pope leaves, Pope would have to pay Kentucky 33% of the prorated salary Pope would have received over the rest of the contract. If Barnhart is not Kentucky’s athletics director when Pope leaves, Pope would have to pay UK 20% of the prorated salary Pope would have received over the rest of the contract.
Ahead of his second season coaching Kentucky, there’s also set to be continuity among Pope’s coaching staff.
All five of Pope’s assistant coaches from last season —Alvin Brooks III, Mark Fox, Cody Fueger, Jason Hart and Mikhail McLean — are set to return for the 2025-26 season, with Fox and McLean doing so on new deals.
Craig Skinner
Sport: Volleyball.
Bio: Skinner was hired at Kentucky in December 2004 after previously being an assistant coach at traditional volleyball powerhouse Nebraska.
Notable events: Kentucky became the first SEC school to win a national championship in volleyball when it won the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which was played in April 2021.
That national championship was part of a remarkable run for the UK volleyball program that is still ongoing: Kentucky has won eight straight SEC regular-season titles, and it has reached at least the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on 10 occasions with Skinner as the head coach.
Five of the eight consecutive SEC regular-season titles won by the UK program have been outright championships.
Skinner is the all-time wins leader at Kentucky and has won more than 300 matches against SEC opponents.
Last season: The Wildcats went 23-8 overall, won the outright SEC regular-season title and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
UK hosted first- and second-round matches in the NCAA Tournament, topping Cleveland State and Minnesota. Kentucky then defeated SEC rival Missouri in the Sweet 16 before losing in straight sets at 1 seed Pittsburgh in the national quarterfinals.
Contract details: Skinner reworked his contract with Kentucky in 2021, 2022, 2023 and most recently in September 2024. His deal runs through June 2029.
Skinner is set to receive a base salary of $525,000 from Kentucky for each of the 2025-26, 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 years on his contract.
In addition to this base salary, Skinner receives $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
Skinner also has performance incentives as part of his contract:
- If UK reaches the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, Skinner would receive $50,000.
- If UK wins the NCAA championship in volleyball, Skinner would receive $75,000.
These incentives are not cumulative, and Skinner is to receive only the one equal to the highest amount.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus on the table for Skinner if UK volleyball players reach certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Skinner without cause during the life of his contract, UK would owe Skinner all of his remaining base salary.
Mark Stoops
Sport: Football.
Bio: Stoops was hired as Kentucky’s football coach in November 2012, and his only head coaching job has been at UK.
Stoops is about to begin his 13th season leading the Wildcats, and it’s set to be perhaps the most pressure-packed one yet.
Stoops is the longest-tenured active head coach in SEC football. He also is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the nation, trailing only Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Troy Calhoun (Air Force), Kyle Whittingham (Utah), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State) and Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) in this regard.
Notable events: The 2025 season could be the most scrutinized one of the Stoops coaching era at Kentucky because of how poorly the 2024 campaign went for the Wildcats. UK stumbled to a 4-8 overall record and a 1-7 mark in SEC contests.
While Stoops does have the distinction of leading Kentucky to multiple 10-win seasons during his time in Lexington, one of those campaigns has been erased from the record books.
Last summer, the NCAA announced the UK football program had been placed on two years of probation as part of a negotiated settlement with the university resulting from rules violations. UK had to vacate its 10 wins from the 2021 season as a result of ineligible players participating after being paid for hours they didn’t work at university hospital jobs.
Last season: Kentucky’s dismal 2024 season means the Cats’ streak of qualifying for eight straight bowl games was snapped. Additionally, Kentucky lost the annual Governor’s Cup rivalry game to Louisville for the first time since 2017.
This came after Stoops nearly became the Texas A&M head coach immediately following the end of the 2023 regular season.
UK’s offense was the culprit for many of the team’s struggles last season. Under first-year offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan, Kentucky averaged only 14.1 points and 269.9 yards per game against power conference opponents.
Kentucky once again dipped into the transfer portal for a quarterback this offseason, with journeyman Zach Calzada — previously the QB at Texas A&M, Auburn and FCS-level Incarnate Word — likely to start for the Wildcats in the Aug. 30 opener against Toledo.
Contract details: Stoops has reworked his coaching contract with UK several times, including last fall amid Kentucky’s doomed 2024 season.
Stoops’ current contract keeps him as the Wildcats’ head coach through the 2030 season. The deal runs through June 2031.
Stoops receives a $9 million salary per year. This makes Stoops the highest-paid coach at Kentucky.
If Stoops were to guide the Wildcats, improbably, to a College Football Playoff national championship, then he would earn an $800,000 bonus. That bonus amount would drop to $650,000 for a title game appearance, $500,000 for an appearance in the national semifinals, $400,000 for an appearance in the national quarterfinals and $300,000 for an appearance in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
According to his contract, Stoops would earn $250,000 for each victory starting with the ninth win of each UK football season. For this purpose, receiving a bye for the first round of the College Football Playoff would count as a win and trigger one of these payments.
If Kentucky participates in a non-College Football Playoff bowl game, Stoops would earn $100,000. If Kentucky does this while winning at least eight games, the bonus would increase to $150,000.
Currently, Stoops would have to pay Kentucky $3 million for a contract buyout. This buyout figure is set to decrease by $500,000 each year until the 2029-30 year. Stoops would not owe Kentucky any money if he leaves the school after June 30, 2030.
Should Kentucky fire Stoops without cause during the life of his contract, the cost to UK will be 75% of Stoops’ remaining salary. That buyout figure would be just less than $38 million after the 2025 season finale.
Gator Todd
Sport: Men’s golf.
Bio: Todd is two seasons into his time as the UK men’s golf coach after a successful run at Vanderbilt, where he was the associate head coach. Todd was a collegiate golfer at Alabama.
Notable events: Recently, Alex Goff was a five-year standout for the Wildcats who posted a 70.55 scoring average during the 2023-24 season, which was Todd’s first as the program’s head coach. This was the best single-season scoring average by a Kentucky men’s golfer since at least the 1993-94 season.
As Todd gets set for his third season leading the Kentucky program, he’s also helped get a home event back on the schedule for the Wildcats.
The Cullan Brown Collegiate was first hosted by Kentucky in October 2024, and it’s set to return to UK’s schedule this October. The tournament is named for Cullan Brown, a former UK golfer who died in 2020.
Last season: At the SEC championships earlier this year, UK finished 15th and failed to advance to the match play portion of the tournament.
Then-junior Jack Schoenberger was selected to compete as an individual in the NCAA Tournament. He finished in a tie for 34th place at an NCAA regional in Illinois.
Former two-time Kentucky Mr. Golf award winner Luke Coyle (Taylor County) will be joining the Wildcats as a transfer this season after playing his first two college seasons at Alabama.
Contract details: Todd reworked his contract with Kentucky last year. His deal runs through June 2029.
Todd is set to receive a base salary from Kentucky of $220,000 for 2025-26; $235,000 for 2026-27; $250,000 for 2027-28; and $265,000 for 2028-29.
Todd will also receive $5,000 each contract year as a result of UK’s multimedia rights and apparel agreements.
Potential bonus payments for Todd include the following:
- If Kentucky wins the SEC regular season or SEC Tournament championship, Todd would earn $20,000.
- If Kentucky qualifies for the NCAA Tournament, Todd would earn $10,000.
- If Kentucky reaches the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, Todd would earn $25,000.
- If Kentucky reaches the semifinals, Todd would earn $30,000.
- If Kentucky wins the team national championship, Todd would earn $35,000.
These performance incentives are not cumulative, and Todd is to receive only the one equal to the highest amount.
There’s also a $2,500 bonus for Todd if UK men’s golfers reach certain academic benchmarks.
If Kentucky were to fire Todd without cause during the life of his contract, UK would owe Todd all of his remaining base salary.
This story was originally published August 18, 2025 at 6:45 AM.
