Tennessee QBs coach Chris Weinke gets raise as part of his new contract

An original member of Jeremy Pruitt‘s first Tennessee football coaching staff has gotten a new deal.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Tennessee football assistant Chris Weinke has received a new two-year contract from the program. This new deal would keep Weinke on Rocky Top through Jan. 31, 2022.

Last year, Weinke was paid $355,000. Under the terms of the new deal, Weinke wil make $450,000 for 2020.

Weinke’s buyout figures were addressed as well.

If Weinke leaves before Feb. 1, 2021, he would owe Tennessee a buyout equal to one-third of his salary remaining on the deal. If he leaves on or after that date, the buyout drops to $50,000. Tennessee may waive the buyout if he departs for a head coaching position at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

According to the News Sentinel, Weinke had been the only Tennessee football coach who had been working without a contract.

Weinke will be entering his third season on the Tennessee football staff. The first season, Weinke was the Volunteers’ running backs coach. He switched to quarterbacks for the 2019 season.

Weinke, of course, played quarterback at Florida State. He was the winner of the 2000 Heisman Trophy.

Right now, Weinke is one of just three assistants who were a part of Pruitt’s first UT staff and still remain with the Vols. The other two are offensive line coach Will Friend and inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer.

Niedermeyer ($355,000) is one of three Tennessee football assistants who will make less than Weinke this year. Outside linebackers coach Shelton Fulton and tight ends coach Joe Osovet will both make $225,000 in 2020.

All told, UT will pay its 10 on-field assistants just a shade over $6.3 million this year. That’s actually down from the $6.985 million paid out the year before. That number was third among all of the coaching staffs in the SEC.