Tennessee coach Josh Heupel just got a huge raise. Is he worth it? No question. In fact, he probably could have held out for more.
The Vols have upped Heupel’s annual salary from $4-million to $5-million, which isn’t chump change, but it still doesn’t fall in line with what Heupel could be making. Tennessee got a steal.
The new deal, however, says a lot about Heupel and what his long-term plans are. Heupel agreed to an $8-million buyout if he leaves Tennessee before December 2023, per a report. That figure drops by $2-million per year after that. That means that Heupel has long-term plans to stay at Tennessee, which looks like a grand thing for the Vols so far. Heupel’s new contract runs through 2028. Why the new deal?
Heupel turned a wrecked program into a respectable one in just one season. His offense has been the talk of the town – and the nation. How much is that worth? More than $5-million in this current market.
I understand that $5-million seems like pretty good money, but if you take a quick look around the nation, it’s really quite average for programs with upper-tier budgets like Tennessee. Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher is making $9-million per season to lose to Appalachian State. Stanford coach David Shaw is being paid $9.25-million to go 3-9, as the Cardinal did last year.
Then, there’s that ole familiar name. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is cashing in an annual salary of $7.25-million. The Rebels are 17-8 since he’s been the head coach in Oxford. Is he worth more money than Heupel based on each coach’s track record? I’ll let you decide. However, I’d rather be in Heupel’s than Kiffin’s.
There’s a reason that Kiffin is paid so much. It’s essentially a financial band-aid. Ole Miss can’t compete with the elite programs in the nation financially so they overpay Kiffin. It’s much easier to pay a coach a couple of extra million to make a program respectable than to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into facilities. Tennessee can do the latter at a much higher level than Ole Miss.
Ole Miss’ model will keep the Rebels relevant, but it’s doubtful that they’ll ever be championship worthy under Kiffin or anyone else. Kiffin knows that all too well.
Kiffin has seen the resources at Tennessee and Alabama. He was the head coach for the Vols and an offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide. There is a huge gap between what those schools can do financially and what Ole Miss is able to pull off. That’s why Kiffin griped publicly about NIL deals during the summer.
The Rebels can’t match what elite programs can. That’s why Kiffin wanted the LSU head coaching position. In fact, Kiffin showed interest in the position before former Tiger coach Ed Orgeron was even fired, per sources close to LSU. I know it’s shocking to think that Kiffin would up and leave Ole Miss, but it’s true.
Heupel’s contract will be re-upped if he deserves it. He’ll get more money when it’s warranted. However, the potential that Heupel has shown makes one think that he’ll get another pay boost soon, perhaps even next year.
Tennessee has invested in Heupel directly via this latest pay increase. However, they’ve invested in him even more in terms of facility upgrades. The corporate world has invested in him via NIL deals. Heupel is smart enough to know he’s in a good spot no matter what his direct deposit might say.
I’m not one to turn down money, but I’d take a short-term pay cut if I believed in myself and the long-term benefits.
The days of griping about paying coaches too much money are over. There will be a coach that signs a contract worth $250-million one day if things continue in this direction. Who knows? It might be Heupel.
Is Heupel overpaid, underpaid or paid just about right? Share your opinion with Off The Hook Sports below.
One Response
You can’t pay a coach based on potential. If you could I’d say he is underpaid. I think UT is playing it smart to take it one step at a time. GO VOLS!!!!!