College football is known for its high-paying coaches and Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel is no exception. Heupel recently signed a new contract extension with the Volunteers that includes a raise that will pay him $9 million annually, keeping him in Knoxville through the 2028 season. This pay rise is significant as it puts him among the highest-paid coaches in the SEC.
$9 Million Man
In two seasons leading the Volunteers, Heupel has an 18-8 record and led the team to their first New Year’s Six/BCS Bowl since 1999. The Volunteers finished ranked No. 6 in the final AP Top 25 and just missed out on a place in the College Football Playoff.
Heupel’s leadership and aggressive brand of football has energized both the football program and fanbase, and has helped to re-establish Tennessee as a college football powerhouse.
Tennessee has extended Josh Heupel contract through 2029 🍊🔥
He’ll be making $9 Million annually 💰🔥pic.twitter.com/goHHh1aDea
— Tennessee DieHards (@DieHardsVols) January 24, 2023
Heupel’s pay rise is not only significant in the context of Tennessee’s program but also when compared to other coaches in the SEC.
His $9 million salary is less than that of Alabama’s Nick Saban and Georgia’s Kirby Smart. However, it is in the region of the salary of Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss.
However, those three coaches have either won at least one national championship or appeared in a New Year’s Six or BCS game. That puts Heupel’s salary is in line with the salaries of other top to mid-tier coaches in the SEC.
Turning Tennessee into Contenders
Heupel arrived to Tennessee from UCF where he posted a 28-8 record with the Knights program from 2018-20. He looks well on the way to being successful at Rocky Top too.
Heupel has not only been successful on the field, but also in developing talent. He has helped quarterback Hendon Hooker evolve into one of the best quarterbacks in the country and led the team to the top scoring offense and best total offense in the country in 2022.
He has also reversed the fortunes of the program, which had been ensnared in instability and a lack of success in the past decade, giving Vol Nation hope for the future.
Josh Heupel’s new contract extension and pay rise is well-deserved considering his achievements in just two seasons leading the Volunteers.
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