Pearl's restructured deal likely to start under $2M

Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl's renegotiated salary falls well short of the reported $3 million Memphis was prepared to offer and he might not reach the $2 million mark next season.

A source told the News Sentinel on Friday that Pearl's new six-year contract will contain retention bonuses and the buyout money will increase. The order of distributing the funds in his contact will be restructured. Pearl and UT agreed in principle late Thursday on the new deal although details have not been released.

Pearl was due to make $1.7 million for the 2009-10 season and was due a retention bonus of $500,000. His previous contract also contained a $100,000 escalator clause, meaning he would have made $1.8 million in 2010-11.

UT athletic director Mike Hamilton has made the escalator (predetermined uniform raises) commonplace in his negotiations with football and basketball coaches, so Pearl's new contract is expected to have one.

Both Pearl and Hamilton have indicated they are comfortable with Pearl being the third-highest-paid coach in the SEC.

Kentucky coach John Calipari has a deal worth $3.7 million while Florida's Billy Donovan makes $3.5 million. Details of new Alabama coach Anthony Grant's reported $2 million contract have not been released, but Pearl's deal is expected to eclipse it with bonuses factored in.

The contract is expected to average approximately $2.4 million over the next six years with the retention bonuses and escalator raises factored in.

Part of Pearl's new contract includes an increase in the salary pool of his assistant coaches that is consistent with the percentage his contract is increasing (roughly 15 percent).

UT associate head coach Tony Jones and assistant coach Steve Forbes are both expected to make at least $200,000 (up from $182,435 and $170,771 last season, respectively), while assistant Jason Shay will see his salary increased from $125,000 to approximately $140,000.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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