Kentucky announces pay increase for football coach Mark Stoops. Here are the details.
Two days before the start of his seventh season as University of Kentucky head football coach, Mark Stoops received a raise.
Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart on Thursday announced a restructuring of Stoops’ current contract that calls for the coach to receive an increase in pay of $500,000 over each of the remaining years on the contract, which extends through June 30, 2025. Barnhart, Stoops and UK President Eli Capilouto signed the agreement Monday.
Click here to see Mark Stoops’ complete contract.
Barnhart in a news release said the amendment has been discussed since the end of UK’s 2018 season, which saw the Cats win 10 games for the first time in 41 years and finish as Citrus Bowl champs.
“I appreciate the continued confidence shown by Dr. Capilouto and Mitch Barnhart in the progress we’ve made and our plans for the future,” Stoops said in the news release. “I’m thankful to everyone involved with building the success of Kentucky football — players, coaches, staff and our great fans in the Big Blue Nation. I’m excited for the opportunity for continued growth of our program.”
This was the fourth amendment to Stoops’ contract during his time at UK. The last amendment came in March 2017, following the Wildcats’ 7-6 campaign in 2016, the first year the program had a winning season under Stoops. That previous amendment pushed Stoops’ contract length to June 30, 2022, but an automatic extension clause — winning 10 games — increased the term by two years. That clause, as well as one that extends the contract terms by one year for finishing a season with seven, eight or nine wins, remains in effect.
Stoops’ base salary — $400,000 — remains unchanged, but with media endorsements and additional compensation rises to $4.75 million for the 2019 season. If the terms remain unchanged and Stoops stays through the 2024 season, he would earn $6.1 million in the final year of his contract.
The buyout of Stoops’ contract increased to as much as $1.75 million if it is terminated with five seasons remaining. It decreases to $1.65 million with four seasons left, $1.55 million with three seasons left and to $1.5 million with two and one season left. Previously Stoops’ buyout was a flat $1 million, regardless of the amount of time left on the term.
Under previous agreements, Stoops earned a bonus incentive for each win beyond six in a season. The new contract removes incentives for winning up to eight games in a season but still provides a bonus — $250,000 — for each game won after accruing eight victories.
Stoops last year was recognized as Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and the league’s coaches. Previously, Stoops did not receive incentive bonuses for being named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year or National Coach of the Year; the new agreement adds a bonus of $50,000 for being named SEC Coach of the Year by either entity and $100,000 for being named National Coach of the Year by the AP, USA Today or the American Football Coaches Association.
Based on the most recent NCAA football salary data available from USA Today, Stoops’ total salary this season will be less than only five other SEC coaches: Alabama’s Nick Saban ($8.3 million), Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher ($7.5 million), Auburn’s Gus Malzahn ($6.7 million) and Florida’s Dan Mullen ($6 million). He would be the 17th-highest paid head coach in college football.
If UK terminates Stoops’ contract without cause, it would pay him 75 percent of the remaining amount owed to him. Example: If UK decided on Friday that it just wanted a new head coach, it would have to pay Stoops more than $24 million within 60 days of notifying him of termination.
Stoops’ new deal also adds up to 10 in-flight hours of private aircraft use for personal travel per year. A stipulation that Stoops “has an affirmative obligation to cooperate fully in the NCAA or SEC enforcement process, including the investigation and adjudication of a case” was added in accordance with recent changes to NCAA bylaws.
Kentucky opens the 2019 season Saturday against Toledo at noon at Kroger Field.
This story was originally published August 29, 2019 at 9:06 AM.