Josh Heupel earns $9 million a year at Tennessee on a contract that runs through January 2030. Tennessee raised him from $5 million to $9 million in January 2023 after an 11 and 2 season and an Orange Bowl win, and later added a year to the deal without changing his salary. Nearly all of it is paid as supplemental income: his base salary is $225,000.
| Annual salary | $9 million: a $225,000 base plus $8.725 million in supplemental pay |
| Length | Through January 2030 after a one year extension that kept his salary the same |
| If Tennessee fires him | A percentage of the remaining contract that steps down over time: under the 2023 deal it was 100 percent before Dec. 15, 2025, then 75 percent, then 50 percent. The latest extension adjusted those terms |
| National title bonus | $1 million, doubled from $500,000 in the 2023 raise |
| Other perks | 30 hours or 10 uses of private flight time a year under the latest extension |
How His Pay Climbed
| Contract | Terms |
|---|---|
| Hired from UCF, Jan. 2021 | About $4 million a year |
| Raise, July 2022 | $5 million a year through 2027 |
| After the Orange Bowl, Jan. 2023 | $9 million a year, later extended through January 2030 |
How It Compares
| Coach | School | 2026 pay |
|---|---|---|
| Lane Kiffin | LSU | $13 million |
| Josh Heupel | Tennessee | $9 million |
| Matt Campbell | Penn State | $9 million with retention bonus |
Contract terms are from Tennessee’s announcements as reported by the Associated Press and the Daily Beacon. The full national list is on our college football coaching salaries page.
The Bottom Line
Josh Heupel makes $9 million a year at Tennessee on a contract through January 2030, almost all of it supplemental pay, with a $1 million national title bonus. His salary has not changed since 2023 while the market moved past him, which is why he now ranks outside the top 15. Follow the Vols on the Tennessee football schedule, Tennessee score today and Tennessee NIL.