University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach Russ Huesman comments on the signees to his program during a news conference in the McKenzie Arena media room in this file photo.Russ Huesman has agreed to a three-year contract extension that would keep him as the head coach for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team through the 2018 season, the university announced Wednesday.
Huesman’s new contract, which runs through Feb. 28, 2019, will raise his annual pay to $205,738, with a $15,000 annual compensation raise from one he received in late June.
Huesman will receive a $5,000 bonus for reaching the NCAA Academic Progress Rate benchmark of 925; winning the Southern Conference or going to the playoffs; and winning Coach of the Year. There are also additional bonus incentives for advancing in the playoffs, and the assistant coaches will receive bonuses for advancing in the playoffs as well.
The buyout in the new contract states that if Huesman is terminated without cause, he is owed his base pay times the number of years remaining in the contract, with a “liquidated damages clause” in place. Should Huesman leave after the 2015 season, he would owe the university 75 percent of his pay. That percentage drops to 50 percent after the 2016 season and 25 percent after the 2017 season.
“We’re excited to do it,” UTC athletic director David Blackburn said Wednesday. “We felt like Russ has done such a good job, and he has us going in the right direction; not just with the community, but with the players and the alumni. He’s proven that he’s great for the program, and we definitely want to be competitive in the marketplace.”