Tennessee coach Josh Heupel led the program to its first 11-win season since 2001 this past year and he was awarded with a new contract extension as a result, the school announced Tuesday.
The extension will run through January 2029 and will net him $9 million annually, not including incentives. Heupel, 44, just wrapped up his second season with the Volunteers and has a 18–8 record at the helm. This past season Tennessee finished 11–2 and capped off the year with a Orangle Bowl win over Clemson.
“The results over Josh’s first two seasons speak for themselves,” director of athletics Danny White said in the release. “He and his staff have energized both our football program and our fanbase with an aggressive brand of football, a competitive culture that creates leaders and a relentless approach to raising the bar every single day.”
Tennessee far exceeded anyone’s expectations in 2022 after entering the season unranked. The Volunteers were as good as 8–0 and were the No. 1 ranked team in the College Football Playoff before losses to Georgia and South Carolina derailed their hopes of competing for a national championship.