When Tennessee fired Butch Jones in 2017, they agreed to pay a buyout of $8.5 million (in monthly installments of $200,000), which could be "mitigated" by the salary of Jones' next job, which is currently offensive analyst at Alabama. If the Vols fire his successor Jeremy Pruitt anytime soon, they could pay another buyout in the high eight figures.
When Pruitt arrived in Knoxville in December 2017, he signed a six-year, $22.8-million contract that called for an annual salary of $3.8 million, the combined total of $275,000 in base salary and $3,525,000 in supplemental compensation. He is also eligible for several bonuses:
APR of 945: $50,000
APR of 985: $100,000
AP SEC Coach of the Year: $50,000
AP National Coach of the Year: $100,000
Top 25 in final CFP, USA Today, or AP: $50,000
Top 10 in final CFP, USA Today, or AP: $100,000
Top 5 in final CFP, USA Today, or AP: $150,000
SEC Championship appearance: $100,000
Win SEC Championship: $300,000
Bowl Appearance: $100,000
CFP Access Bowl Appearance: $200,000
CFP Semifinal Game Appearance: $300,000
CFP National Championship Game Appearance: $400,000
Winning National Title: $500,000
MORE: Taggart's Buyout Details
If fired without cause efore his contract expires on Jan. 31, 2024, Pruitt is owed 60 percent of the remaining balance. For example, for simplicity's sake, if Pruitt is fired on Feb. 1, 2020, after his second season as head coach, Tennessee owes him 60 percent of $15.2 million ($3.8 million over four years): $9.12 million.
Full buyout breakdown:
Feb. 1, 2020: $9.12 million
Feb. 1, 2021: $6.84 million
Feb. 1, 2022: $4.56 million
Feb. 1, 2023: $2.28 million
If Pruitt left voluntarily before Dec. 15, 2018, the buyout would've been $6 million. It now decreases by $1 million each year until Dec. 15, 2022.
You can read Jeremy Prutt's entire contract here.
