UK rewards baseball coach Mingione’s first-year success with raise, contract extension

Nick Mingione, who lived in the Kentucky baseball locker room for a few weeks when he first came here as an assistant coach, can afford much better living quarters now.

Mingione signed a contract extension that will pay him $575,000 for each of the next five years, UK announced Friday.

The new contract came after a debut season as head coach that saw Kentucky baseball scale several new heights. The Wildcats advanced to their first NCAA Tournament super regional last spring. UK’s 43 victories included 19 in Southeastern Conference play, which was the second most in school history. The 43 victories were the most for a first-year coach in program history.

The SEC named Mingione its Coach of the Year.

“The progress our program has made in one year under Nick’s leadership is outstanding,” Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart said in a news release. “We are committed to making Kentucky baseball a consistent winner both in the Southeastern Conference and on a national level, and he is the coach to make that happen. We are excited to have Nick and his family in Lexington for a long time.”

UK also announced new two-year contracts for assistant coaches Jim Belanger and Roland Fanning.

Mingione expressed gratitude to Barnhart and UK President Eli Capilouto.

“My wife and I love Lexington and could not be more excited about being a part of this university and community,” Mingione said. “I’m also thrilled the rest of the coaching staff is being rewarded for their remarkable efforts in our first season here.”

The extension includes new incentive bonuses for Mingione: $25,000 for each year UK plays in the NCAA Tournament; $100,000 each year UK advances to a super regional; $150,000 each year UK advances to the College World Series, and $200,000 each year UK wins a national championship.

Mingione will also receive $2,500 for each year the baseball team achieves an Academic Progress Rate of .985 or better.

If Mingione decides to leave before next July 1, he would be obligated to pay UK $1 million. That buyout decreases by $200,000 in each subsequent year.

Mingione’s original contract, signed in June 2016 when UK hired him away from a top assistant’s job at Mississippi State, called for Mingione to receive an average of $475,000 per year over the five years of the contract.

This story was originally published September 8, 2017 at 1:47 PM with the headline "UK rewards baseball coach Mingione’s first-year success with raise, contract extension."