Scott Satterfield’s Cincinnati contract: Salary, buyout, bonus details
Daniel Santos CINCINNATI — The Bearcats introduced Scott Satterfield as their new head football coach on Monday, with the former Louisville coach replacing Luke Fickell after a weeklong search. Here are some additional details on Satterfield’s six-year contract with Cincinnati, according to a Memorandum of Understanding between Satterfield and the University of Cincinnati that The Athletic obtained via a public record request:
- As part of the hiring announcement, the University of Cincinnati released contract details for Satterfield, stating that he agreed to a six-year deal that will pay him $3.4 million in Year 1. Satterfield’s contract does in fact run through Dec. 31, 2028, but his listed salary for the 2023 season is actually $3.5 million, increasing annually by $100,000 up to $4 million in 2028. The agreement equates to a six-year deal totaling $22.5 million.
- The MOU affirms the previously announced assistant salary pool of $7.25 million for 2023, with a standard annual review each year after that. It’s a significant increase over Luke Fickell’s $5.2 million assistant salary pool. Fickell’s annual salary was $5 million.
- The MOU was electronically signed by Satterfield at 11:50 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 4, and by Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham at 12:01 a.m. EST on Monday, Dec. 5. Satterfield’s hire was officially announced by the Bearcats on social media at 9:13 a.m. EST on Monday morning.
The total compensation of $10.65 million per year — Satterfield salary plus assistant salary pool — is described by Cincinnati as "the highest investment ever for Cincinnati football." #Bearcats
— Justin Williams (@Williams_Justin) December 5, 2022
Additional contract details
In terms of the buyout, if Satterfield is fired prior to Dec. 31, 2025 (the end of Year 3), he will receive 100 percent of the remaining base and supplemental compensation pro-rated. If he is fired after Dec. 31, 2025, he will receive 70 percent of the remaining base and supplemental compensation pro-rated.
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The buyout if Satterfield were to leave for another job and terminate the contract starts at $8 million through Dec. 31, 2024, then drops to $4 million and de-escalates from there.
Cincinnati buyout if terminated by Satte
| Date | Amount |
|---|---|
On/before 12/31/23 | $8 million |
On/before 12/31/24 | $8 million |
On/before 12/31/25 | $4 million |
On/before 12/31/26 | $2.5 million |
On/before 12/31/27 | $1.5 million |
On/before 12/31/28 | $1 million |
The University of Cincinnati agrees to pay Satterfield’s $3.5 million buyout to the University of Louisville, per the MOU.
In terms of performance bonuses, Satterfield will receive an additional $75,000 for each regular season conference title (shared or outright), as well as for any conference championship game victories. He will also receive an additional $250,000 for a New Year’s Six bowl or College Football Playoff appearance in 2023, and the same for any appearances in an expanded Playoff thereafter. Satterfield will receive an additional $500,000 for winning a national championship. Any other bowl game appearances garner an additional $75,000, and Satterfield can earn $50,000 for national coach of the year honors, $25,000 for conference coach of the year honors, and another $25,000 for a multi-year APR of 985 or greater. He can earn up to a max annual bonus of $1 million.
Satterfield will also receive a $35,000 relocation stipend, a provided car, an annual Business Entertainment Allowance of $10,000, family membership privileges at a local golf club, and complimentary tickets and parking passes for football and men’s basketball games.
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(Photo: Courtesy of Cincinnati Bearcats Athletics)
