FAYETTEVILLE — Five University of Arkansas assistant football coaches received contract extensions during the first two months of the year, according to documents obtained Thursday through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Defensive line coach Deke Adams, special teams coordinator Scott Fountain, running backs coach Jimmy Smith, receivers coach Kenny Guiton and offensive line coach Cody Kennedy all received contract extensions through February 2025. Smith also added the title of associate head coach.
Adams, whose previous contract was set to expire Feb. 28, received a $50,000 pay raise to $450,000 per year.
None of the other four assistant coaches received pay raises as part of their agreements. All received pay raises last spring when they signed contract extensions through February 2024.
More from WholeHogSports: Arkansas assistant coach salary database
Arkansas is in line to pay its 10 on-field assistants a combined annual salary of $5.89 million for the 2023 season.
That is $550,000 less than the $6.44 million the staff was in line to make last season when the Razorbacks went 7-6 and defeated Kansas 55-53 in triple overtime at the Liberty Bowl.
Five assistant coaches from last year’s staff left for other jobs, including the two highest-paid assistants, defensive coordinator Barry Odom and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. Their successors, offensive coordinator Dan Enos and defensive coordinator Travis Williams, were hired to salaries that paid $850,000 less combined in their first year.
When Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman’s salary is added, the overall salary total for the Razorbacks’ coaching staff is $300,000 less than in 2022.
Pittman received a contracted $250,000 pay raise to $5.25 million for winning seven games last season. Pittman is also earning $1.1 million per year in compensation that is scheduled to be disbursed as a retention payment at the end of the 2024 season.
Other documents received from the UA on Thursday show TCU paid $807,433.50 on Jan. 23 to buy out Briles’ contract at Arkansas that ran through February 2025.
Enos received a modified contract Feb. 8 which increased the total to $146,760 that the Razorbacks can pay to buy out his contract at Maryland. On Jan. 18, Enos signed a contract that included language Arkansas would pay Maryland up to $135,000.
CORRECTION: The score of the Liberty Bowl was misprinted and has been corrected.