UTC football coach Russ Huesman gets small raise in new contract

photo UTC head coach Russ Huesman, right, shouts from the sidelines in this file photo.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach Russ Huesman's contract was amended and restructured in late June by athletic director David Blackburn, and the fifth-year coach received a small raise and an extension through the 2016 season.

Hired in December 2008 to turn around a long-struggling Mocs program, the former UTC safety initially was paid $150,000 annually, with several bonuses in place, as well as $15,000 a year for his radio and television work.

The bonuses covered such variables as attendance, Academic Progress Rate performance and making the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Some have been reached; others haven't.

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The $10,000 bonus Huesman received for UTC averaging more than 10,000 fans a game at Finley Stadium -- something that happened in three of his first four seasons, narrowly missing in 2012 -- has been added to his base pay. Also added was the $5,000 bonus for no major NCAA violations. Huesman's annual salary is now $175, 738.

"We were proud and happy to do that," Blackburn said of the adjustments to Huesman's base salary. "I felt like that position needed to be paid a little bit more to be market competitive, and I'm glad we were able to do that."

Three games into his fifth season, Huesman is 25-22. In the preceding eight seasons before he arrived, the Mocs won a total of 22 games. UTC is off to a 2-1 start in 2013 and begins Southern Conference play Sept. 28 at Georgia Southern.

Contact John Frierson at jfrierson@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6268. Follow him at twitter.com/MocsBeat.

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