Tennessee will pay its football coaching staff a combined $5.325 million for the 2009 season, UT announced Thursday.
"Coach (Lane) Kiffin has done a tremendous job assembling one of the best staffs in the SEC and the country," UT athletic director Mike Hamilton said. "Our funding model requires football to be successful in order to fund other sports and not detract from the university's mission. This team of experienced coaches understands that vision."
UT's most experienced coaches - and their best recruiters - are slated to earn the most this season.
Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is UT's highest-paid assistant coach at $1.2 million. Kiffin will also receive a retention bonus of $300,000 on December 31, bringing his total income from UT to $1.5 million for 2009.
Defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron will earn $650,000, followed by offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Jim Chaney at $380,000.
Those three coaches will have three-year contracts, the same term UT's coordinators had previously.
Linebackers coach Lance Thompson will earn $350,000.
Running backs coach Eddie Gran will make $185,000, while tackles and tight ends coach James Cregg, quarterbacks coach David Reaves and wide receivers coach Frank Wilson will all earn $150,000.
Defensive backs coach Willie Mack Garza will earn $110,000.
Assistant coaches have two-year contracts.
Included in assistant coaches' contracts are liquidated damages clauses that would require a coach to repay rougly six months' pay if he left for a similar position.
A position coach who left to become a coordinator or a coordinator who left for a head coaching job would not have to repay the university any salary under the clause.
Head coach Lane Kiffin will be paid $2 million this season in the first year of a six-year deal that runs through 2014.
UT paid its nine assistants $1.93 million last year. This year's assistant coaches will receive $3.325 million.
All told, the Vols will pay their entire coaching staff $5.325 million. According to UT, its previous coaching staff was scheduled to earn $4.7 million for the 2009 season.
That overall jump in salaries for UT's 10 football coaches is $625,000, using Tennessee's figures.
“While our coaches’ salary model is unique, we feel it is a great model for Tennessee," Hamilton said. "Coach Kiffin understands the power of putting together a great team and he used the budget we provided to assemble what many will consider to be the best staff in America."
More later online and in Friday's News Sentinel.
Coach Title Salary
Lane Kiffin Head Coach $2,000,000
Monte Kiffin Defensive Coordinator $1,200,000*
Ed Orgeron Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line $650,000
Jim Chaney Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line $380,000
Lance Thompson Linebackers $350,000
Eddie Gran Running Backs/Special Teams $185,000
James Cregg Tight Ends/Tackles $150,000
David Reaves Quarterbacks $150,000
Frank Wilson Wide Receivers $150,000
Willie Garza Defensive Backs $110,000
* Monte Kiffin will also receive a retention bonus of $300,000 on December 31, 2009.
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Comments » 78
KENVOL writes:
Let's get going time to earn that money. Great staff. I sure hope we can produce this year.
txsvol#372416 writes:
If Willie Mack Garza coaches as well as he played, he's dure for a raise! SAVol
SemperVol writes:
Sadly... very few people understand that last paragraph.
txvolsfan writes:
Looks good
bobbytodd writes:
I'm suprised we have so many names and still only 4th in salary. Not bad.
DingoVol writes:
What a bargain. If you go man for man on this staff vs last year and it only cost $600k more, that is the deal of the century. Look at the enthusiasm generated and the energy around the recruiting and I think it is more than worth the additional dollars. If you read the earlier articles, I would have thought this staff was costing $3 million more per year.
I just caught myself.....We are having to pay phil $1.5 per year..... STILL WORTH IT!!!!!
ctownvol writes:
Wait a cottonpickin' minute. Where is Ctownvol's salary? I'm gonna be an all-conference get back coach.
auttat writes:
4th best in the SEC, yet Pennington, Griffin, Dearstone and all the other yahoo's haven't stopped b!tching about money. The entire Vol Nation apologizes that the coaches haven't been available for your every beck and call, guys.
pabashia#208095 writes:
This isn't too much more than the Fulmer staff. Imagine your coach saying 'take from my salary so that I can build a good staff.' What a breath of fresh air.
auttat writes:
And, if you are going to replace a word I use, make sure you spell it right. I know that is a lot of trouble for the KNS, since they rarely care to check grammar or spelling.
B!tching=female doging
hotrodvol writes:
CLK, is a very smart person. I think he knew to keep his salary low so UT would spend more for asst. coaches. His time will come, just as coach Pearl's time will come.
Basketball_Jones writes:
I'm just glad we have a special teams coach...We can get rid of the ole philosophy..
."Now Boys were gonna kick it and you go get em"
Waldorf writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
sayhitomaggie writes:
I'm just in shock that with all of this money and it's only fourth in the SEC. Just wow...
iwastherein98 writes:
I think it will be money well spent
King53 writes:
no kidding!!! i am sick of hearing some of the local media gripe and complain about this staff. i had to listen today to Chuck Cavalaris moan and groan about Coach K. Get over it guys. Fulmer is gone and there is a new sheriff in town and he does things differently.
rckymtngator writes:
Wow, $5.325 million to challenge South Carolina, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt for 3rd place in the SEC East. It is going to take more than an "All Star Coaching Staff: to compete with Florida and Georgia, it will take players and last time I looked, Tennessee was once again losing the recruiting war against the Gators and Bulldogs. I quess if you can return to the Capital One Game, $5.325 Million is worth it.
ctownvol writes:
A trip to Orlando sure beats the heck out of last season. It's not going to happen over night.
CheckerboardPhilosopher writes:
http://3rdsaturdayinblogtober.wordpre...
RCanaMoonPie writes:
UT is trying to become the NY Yankees of college football. Spend the most and hope the results follow.
George, where's my calzone!?
GREATVOLSAFIRE writes:
Well worth the money!
Basketball_Jones writes:
I bet Tennessee has a better record this year than Georgia. I won't say we can hang with the Gator considering they have about 17 of 22 starters back. I think UF will repeat as NC
King53 writes:
that's the point moon pie...we are not spending the most. As previously posted, we have the 4th highest paid staff in the SEC.
KENVOL writes:
I just noticed that they changed the story. It no longer says that we are 4th in salary.
Down_The_Field writes:
How long has Urb been recruiting? Um..what, going on 5 years now. So, can you compare a Tennessee staff that's been on the job recruiting for 1-3 months? No. How did Urby do his first year? I don't remember.
Also, the 5 plus mil is NOT to compete with Kenlucky, SC, and Peebody. NO. The 5 plus mil is to compete with Flar-duh, UGlAy, and bama. Period. And, yes, it will take that much to do it. Flar-duh will soon make Urby the highest paid and this will look like chump change.
The question is.....is....Is this the right HC and staff? The interloopers say NO, UT foolish as you should. Your job is to be the antagonist, the pain in the but, and the fly in the ointment. I laughed when you guys hired Zook. My answer is this...yes, it's a lot of money and seems to be paying off with the recruiting I've seen in TWO MONTHS (key word, okay???). This time next year we'll all know if it was worth it or not.
Colliervol writes:
How does the phrase "spend the most" correlate to being ranked 4th in the conference in coaches salaries? If you can't read, please say so.
asleep#212036 writes:
I would guess the pecking order won't change that much. You guys and Florida have the most money so I would expect your AD's would be willing to spend it. Plus, every time a school changes the paradigm, everyone else must play along or get left. When Oklahoma gave Stoops the big salary and the $3 million retention bonus, everyone gasped...but played along. When Notre Dame gave Weiss a guaranteed 10 year deal and you guys rewarded Saban similarly, everyone gasped...but, eventually played along. Kiffin and Hamilton decided to make a run at the best assistants money can buy and have assembled a stellar, but pricey, bunch of coaches. Everyone is gasping...but will definitely play along. I'd say Bama will be first, Florida second, and LSU third, then UT. Of course, the question is value and we won't know that for several more months.
KENVOL writes:
I will take mediocre over last year.
asleep#212036 writes:
Gator, best I can tell Georgia's talent is the only thing keeping them in the picture. I have been severely underwhelmed with Richt and his staff considering they may lag only you guys in raw talent. I'd say our coaches might return us to their level fairly quickly which would be well worth it. Florida should be fairly safe for a few more years until we can increase the number of elite athletes we can put on the field. Of course, there is always an Ole Miss debacle waiting out there but Meyer wouldn't let you lose focus like that in a game as big as Tennessee.
TNGirl007 writes:
Yes, it's a lot of money, but from what I've seen so far, they are dedicated to making this team worth it in the long run. And I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt. Who's with me?
ArealVolFan writes:
You guys should also realize that the total price for this staff is right there with what the Fulmer staff was, the difference was more money was going to the HC than the assistants.
Colliervol writes:
So you're only going to give them one year to straighten out this mess? Typical "fan" (and I use that term loosely). Sounds like somebody still doesn't like it that their favorite coach got shown the door.
By the way, if we are "mediocre" next year, that would be a step up over last season.
OldNumber7 writes:
Then if I were you, I would plead for your OC to come back cuz Meyer's known nothing without him.
OldNumber7 writes:
It looked like panic then, but the big picture of Mike and Lane's talks has unveiled itself. It was more than a coach Mike hired...but an immediate recruiting draw with highly talented assistants top to bottom. By the way, who on this staff is unproven? Shall I remind you that Orgeron's talent pool at Ole Miss beat the not-so-perfect Gators - and the Rebels are staring at a preseason ranking of top 5? I'll take my chances with these guys, it's a pretty good bet this team's going up.
SemperVol writes:
Good call, KenVol (that rhymes)
I'd suppose that the article's statement was a little premature given Alabama hasn't announced Willis' salary yet...
Couldn't imagine that (or any other assistant position) making that much difference concerning that statement.
TommyJack writes:
Right on, Asleep. I've been saying that Richt is a younger, slimmer, CPF. Gets less with more.
ZacharyUTK writes:
worth it.
iwastherein98 writes:
Generally, the only athletic department that makes more money than Tennessee is Ohio State. It varies year to year but that is the average. We make more money than both Florida and Georgia.
Oh, and did I mention that we have the largest recruiting budget in the nation? Wait until these guys have a whole year to spend it. Huge classes coming our way.
sayhitomaggie writes:
I am! So is everyone else whether they want to admit it or not they're on board with it because there's not much else they can do about it.
Unless of course they decide to be fans of another team, in which we didn't them in our fan base anyway.
ozzman writes:
The UT fans are gonna have good sports programs most of the time. I live in knoxville and know this to be true. You get what you pay for. GO BIG ORANGE.
Go4Two writes:
I will say this staff looks good on paper. However can we keep them together long enough to build a winning program. Time will tell.. we have a lot of chiefs on this staff hopefully they can all get along.
jokico1199 writes:
Gator fan..ur on the wrong site slapnutz..this is BIG ORANGE county so get to steppin. As good as Timmy is ur a one trick pony. He goes down, you go down. As bad as we were last year, we still took u to the limit. Ur lizards are not as good as you think they are.....GO VOLS.......
utvol17 writes:
No worries.. UT just asked the government for a 6 million a yr bailout. Time for a big blast party in Destin this year for our admin group. Boil the lobsters and cook the corn...
pdhuff#552644 writes:
You have been told to spend 2-3 hours per day rolling and unrolling cord while walking.
How's that going?
blitzshoot writes:
Is that all?
pdhuff#552644 writes:
You have to admit he hired Martinez.
ctownvol writes:
I think I have the hang of it now. I'm ready for some O.J.T.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
It takes a lot of shekels to correct 5-7.
volbald writes:
As far as when we will know it was worth it - if we go to any kind of bowl game next year- that's when. The cubard is lean but it can't be bare. Let's see some coaching!
ctownvol writes:
And that should jack up the figure by at least $29.95 per year.
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