Tennessee football’s success on the field in the 2023 season earned head coach Josh Heupel bonuses of $150,000.
If UT football meets the academic qualifications, which will be decided later this spring, it might go up.
That isn’t nearly as much as Heupel received in the highly acclaimed 2022 season for the Vols. However, it’s also a respectable prize.
Heupel was granted a contract extension and a compensation increase to $9 million per year, along with bonuses, a year ago. His new contract removed the cap on his annual bonuses, which was set at $1.2 million in the original agreement.
Naturally, for Heupel to exceed that $1.2 million maximum, Tennessee would need to win the national title, which would also trigger a $1 million bonus and additional incentives.
This year, Heupel is far from that incentive ceiling. However, this explains why he is eligible for additional bonuses worth up to $150,000 for the 2023 season.
If Tennessee participates in a bowl game other than the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six bowls, Heupel will receive $100,000. The Citrus, ReliaQuest, Gator, Music City, Texas, Liberty, Duke’s Mayo, Las Vegas, Birmingham, and Gasparilla are among the other bowls that have SEC tie-ins.
In the Citrus Bowl, the Vols defeated Iowa 35 to 0. However, Heupel would have gotten the entire $100,000 in any case.
Heupel received $100,000 in 2021 as a result of Tennessee’s Music City Bowl victory. He received $200,000 in 2022 for the Vols’ Orange Bowl trip, which was a New Year’s Six bowl.
Bonus additionally triggered by the top 25 polls
To qualify for a bowl game, Tennessee needed to win just six games. Remaining in the Top 25 was more difficult, though, which led to an additional incentive.
The Vols placed in the Top 25 in at least one major poll, earning Heupel $50,000. In both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the final AP Top 25, they were ranked No. 17.
He received a $100,000 bonus the previous season since Tennessee placed in the top 10.
Since Week 2 of the 2022 season, the Vols have been rated in at least one poll each week under Heupel.