Tennessee's football staff will receive $215,000 in raises for the upcoming season, the university announced Wednesday.

UT's total pool for assistant coaches is now $1.935 million, up from $1.72 million for the 2007 season.

UT athletic director Mike Hamilton estimates that figure would put the Vols in the top four or five in the SEC.

"I think that our pool for assistant coach salaries in football will stack up against those around us in the league," he said.

Defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell, whose name surfaced in Arkansas' search for a defensive coordinator, received a $50,000 raise to $200,000. Offensive line coach Greg Adkins received a $49,364 raise to $200,000 as well.

Tennessee's highest paid position coach last year was Trooper Taylor, who earned $175,000 before leaving to become offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State.

UT hired four new coaches to replace Taylor and David Cutcliffe, who hired former UT assistants Matt Luke and Kurt Roper when he left to become head coach at Duke.

Former Richmond head coach Dave Clawson will earn $340,000 in his first season as UT's offensive coordinator, the same amount Cutcliffe earned last season.

Wide receivers coach Latrell Scott, who came to UT from Clawson's staff at Richmond, will earn $150,000 this season.

Tight ends coach Jason Michael will make $160,000 after leaving the New York Jets.

Former Florida running backs coach Stan Drayton will earn $170,000 .

"When Phillip went through the process of hiring his new offensive staff, he came in and we talked about it," Hamilton said. "I said, 'Go hire the best people you can hire. Don't be too overly concerned about what it's going to cost. But also manage it, and be respectful of what we're trying to accomplish.' I think he did that very well, by the way. In the process, he was able to hire some young guys, but he was also able to get some of the guys who have been here a longer period of time some additional compensation which they probably deserved."

Defensive coordinator John Chavis will earn $340,000, a $15,000 raise over last year.

Defensive line coach Dan Brooks will earn $190,000 and defensive backs coach Larry Slade will make $175,000.

All of UT's assistants have two-year contracts, while coordinators have three-year deals.

"Mike was very helpful and very supportive of that," Fulmer said. "We're certainly not the highest in the conference, but we're very competitive in the conference. We compete in the best division in the best conference in the country. We just won the Eastern Division in a year in which the conference was probably at its best.

"I'm really happy for them and very appreciative of Mike and (UT president) Dr. (John) Petersen and everyone allowing us to be competitive from a financial standpoint that we don't have coaches coming and going."

On Wednesday, UT also announced a $350,000 raise for head coach Phillip Fulmer and a $300,000 raise for men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl.

According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, Pearl's staff will be the third highest-paid staff in the SEC when their contracts are announced.

Drew Edwards may be reached at 865-342-6274.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.