Coaching Candidate is a mini-series exploring potential head coaches at the FCS and FBS levels. Read more about the contracts and backgrounds of Charles Huff, Brent Vigen, Tim Polasek, Dan Mullen, and Jason Eck.
If you haven’t noticed, Ryan Silverfield’s name has started heating up on the coaching carousel — fueled in part by a viral social media post linking him to Arkansas.
Even betting markets have begun to shift in his favor as the next coach in Fayetteville. The 45-year-old Jacksonville, Florida native brings a unique background, with nearly a 50/50 split between college and NFL experience. He even spent time as a high school head coach at Memorial Day in Georgia, where he went 1-9. College fans can relax, though; his record at Memphis tells a much different story. Since taking over full-time in 2020, Silverfield has gone 50-22 with a 4-1 mark in bowl games.
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Ryan Silverfield Contract
Term
Five (5) year deal, effective January 1, 2024 (“Effective Date”) and expiring December 31, 2028 (“Term”).
If the team wins at least nine (9) regular season games during any Contract Year, the Term automatically extends by one (1) year with a $100,000 increase in Supplemental Pay for that added year.
If the team wins at least ten (10) regular season games and participates in the conference championship game, the Term automatically extends by two (2) years with a $250,000 increase in Supplemental Pay for the next and each remaining year of the Term.
The two-year extension for ten wins may only be earned once during Coach’s tenure.
Annual Compensation
| Yr | Contract Yr | Base Pay | Supplemental Pay | Total Annualized Compensation |
| YR1 | 2024 | $200,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,200,000 |
| YR2 | 2025 | $200,000 | $2,050,000 | $2,250,000 |
| YR3 | 2026 | $200,000 | $2,300,000 | $2,500,000 |
| YR4 | 2027 | $200,000 | $2,400,000 | $2,600,000 |
| YR5 | 2028 | $200,000 | $2,500,000 | $2,700,000 |
All payments are made in equal monthly installments in accordance with University payroll procedures.
Both Base Pay and Supplemental Pay are subject to potential furloughs or temporary reductions of up to twenty percent (20%).
Guarantee (University Terminates Without Cause)
If the University terminates Coach without Cause, the University shall pay a separation payment equal to sixty percent (60%) of the Base Pay and Supplemental Pay that would have been payable from the termination date through the end of the unexpired Term (including any automatic extensions).
- Payment made in equal monthly installments over the remaining months of the Term.
- No interest accrues on payments.
- Coach has no obligation to seek other employment and the University has no offset rights.
Ryan Silverfield Buyout
If Coach terminates employment without Cause, the Coach (or a third party on his behalf) must pay the University according to the following schedule:
| Termination On or Before | Amount Owed |
| December 31, 2024 | $1,500,000 |
| December 31, 2025 | $1,000,000 |
| December 31, 2026 | $750,000 |
| December 31, 2027 | $500,000 |
| December 31, 2028 | $0 |
- Payment is due within 90 days of termination.
- If unpaid, the University may withhold from final paycheck(s).
- No payment required if Coach leaves to become a professional head coach.
- If the Term is extended by one (1) year for a nine-win season, the buyout schedule rolls back by one (1) year.
- If extended by two (2) years for a ten-win season and conference championship appearance, the buyout schedule resets to the first-year structure ($1.5M, then declining annually).
Ryan Silverfield Contract Incentives
Ryan Silverfield’s contract at Memphis is heavily incentive-driven, blending the standard performance bonuses seen across college football with several unique incentives. Like most FBS head coaches, Silverfield is eligible for annual bonuses tied to competitive success and academic benchmarks, including top-25 finishes, bowl appearances, conference titles, academic progress rate (APR) scores, graduation metrics, and coach of the year honors.
Where Silverfield’s deal stands out is in how it ties additional earnings directly to on-field milestones and off-field program growth. For example, he earns $25,000 for every win against a Power Five opponent. That incentive does disappear if Memphis itself joins a Power Conference.
Another noteworthy element is the ticket sales clause, which pays Silverfield an additional $25,000 if Memphis surpasses $5 million in football ticket revenue in a single season, excluding any donation-based seating revenue. This kind of revenue-tied bonus is often rare among Group of Six contracts. Combined with escalating win-based bonuses — $75,000 for eight wins, $100,000 for nine, $125,000 for ten, and $150,000 for eleven or more — Silverfield has a really good contract for a non-P4 job.
Wrap Up
The Tigers have a hot coach in Ryan Silverfield, who has won consistently and built strong ties across the South. He’ll be in the mix for several openings (if he chooses to be), and his relatively low buyout — while definitely not a deal breaker in today’s market — certainly makes him a more attractive candidate. The question now is simple … will he stay, or will he go?
