UCF releases full details of Gus Malzahn’s contract - AL.com

Gus Malzahn’s deal to become UCF’s head coach looks a lot like the original contract he signed at Auburn back in 2013.

The former Auburn coach on Monday agreed to a five-year, $11.5 million contract to become UCF’s next coach, according to a copy of the signed memo of understanding obtained by AL.com through a public records request. Malzahn will earn $2.3 million annually over the course of five seasons, which is identical to the terms of his first contract with Auburn.

His contract with UCF, where he was introduced as head coach Monday afternoon, includes $500,000 in base salary with $1.8 million in media and speaking engagements, as well as endorsement rights. It also includes up to $500,000 in incentives per year, with bonuses for academic achievements -- including team GPA above 3.0 and a single-year APR of 980 or higher -- and performance-based incentives. The on-field bonuses include playing in the AAC title game, winning the AAC championship, earning a bowl berth, an appearance in a New Year’s Six bowl game, a College Football Playoff appearance, winning a bowl game, winning the CFP national championship, completing an undefeated season, top-25, top-15 and top-10 finishes in the CFP standings, as well as bonuses for winning conference or national coach of the year honors.

Malzahn’s deal with UCF includes a buyout clause should he be terminated by the university without cause. If UCF were to part ways with Malzahn by the end of the 2021 calendar, the school would owe him 90 percent of the contract’s value -- $10.35 million -- to be paid in semi-monthly installments through the end of the contract’s term, subject to mitigation. If he were to be fired on or after Jan. 1, 2022, UCF would owe him 75 percent of the remaining value on his contract -- at that point, $6.9 million, also subject to mitigation.

If Malzahn were to leave UCF for another job before his contract ends, he would owe the school a buyout of his contract within 60 days of the contract’s termination. That includes $7 million if it’s before the end of 2021, $5 million if before the end of 2022, $3 million if before the end of 2023, $2 million if before the end of 2024 and $500,000 if after Dec. 31, 2024 but before the start of the 2025 regular season.

Malzahn’s payments from UCF come on top of the $21,450,000 in buyout owed to him by Auburn, half of which was due last month, as there was no mitigation clause in his seven-year, $49 million deal he signed with Auburn in late 2017.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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