Three Kentucky football coaches have new contracts. See what they’re getting paid.
Three University of Kentucky assistant football coaches recently received new contracts, each with increases in compensation and disincentives for leaving the program.
Eddie Gran, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, who was rumored to be in the running for the same position this off-season at Georgia, signed a new three-year deal through 2012 on Jan. 21 that will raise his annual salary to $875,000 this year and by another $25,000 each subsequent year of the deal capping at $925,000 in the 2021 season. Gran was set to make $850,000 per year under his previous contract, which was set to expire after the upcoming season. Gran has been with UK since 2016.
Vince Marrow, UK’s recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach who has been with the program since Stoops’ hiring in 2013, has been said to have been promoted to associate head coach and got a significant bump in salary to prove it, although the new title is not in the contract language. Marrow will earn $600,000 in 2019, a $150,000 increase over what he was set to make under the terms of his previous deal. In addition, he will get another $25,000 raise for each subsequent year of the contract through the end of the 2021 season, meaning a salary of $650,000 in the final year. Marrow signed his new contract Jan. 10
Both Gran and Marrow must pay UK $150,000 in a buyout clause if they were to leave for a different job before their contracts are complete.
Michael Smith, the wide receivers coach hired last year, also got a new contract through the 2021 season. Smith will be paid $450,000 annually beginning in 2019, an increase of $50,000 over his original contract. Smith must pay UK a $100,000 buyout clause if he leaves his contract early for another position. Smith signed his new deal Jan. 23.
Each coach’s contract includes bonuses for the Cats making a non-College Football Playoff bowl game (one month’s salary), an SEC championship game (1.5 month’s salary) and the College Football Playoff (two months’ salary), but those bonuses aren’t cumulative, they get the highest of whatever is achieved.
The contracts were posted on the University of Kentucky’s Office of Legal Counsel website following their final approval on Feb. 13.
