Here's what new Missouri women's basketball coach Kellie Harper will be paid under new contract
Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch said the Tigers were going to invest in women’s basketball. New head coach Kellie Harper’s first contract with Missouri women’s basketball appears to be the first step toward that.
The Columbia Daily Tribune obtained Harper’s contract through an open records request. The document shows that Harper has signed a five-year deal with the Tigers that is officially set to start April 1, meaning her current deal will run through March 2030.
More: Missouri women’s basketball to hire former Tennessee coach Kellie Harper as new head coach
In Harper’s first season, she will earn $850,000 in total compensation, which combines a $300,000 base salary and $550,000 in non-salary compensation. Her base salary remains consistent throughout the entirety of her five-year deal, but her non-salary compensation increases by $25,000 year over year.
That means, if Harper is not renewed or fired by the 2029-30 season, she would earn $950,000 in her fifth season with the Tigers. The contract, in its entirety, is worth $4.5 million.
Altogether, Harper will earn $300,000 more in total compensation in her first season than Pingeton was contracted to earn in her 15th and final season with the program.
Pingeton earned $550,000 in total compensation in her final season with the Tigers, per her contract.
Harper will receive a staff pool of $950,000 to sign assistant coaches. On Tuesday morning, Talia Goodman of On3 reported that the Tigers are signing FAU head coach Jennifer Sullivan as Harper’s first assistant. Sullivan worked as an assistant for Harper at both Tennessee and Missouri State.
The new Mizzou head coach is eligible to earn a maximum of $450,000 per season in bonuses, ranging from $25,000 for an NCAA Tournament appearance to $200,000 for a national championship.
If the Tigers opt to fire Harper without cause at any time during her contract, the university owes her 75% of the sum that is remaining on the deal. For example, if the university fired Harper without cause on April 1 — the start date of her deal — it would owe her 75% of the full $4.5 million, or $3.375 million.
Should Harper opt to leave the Tigers before the end of her current contract expires, she would owe the university 50% of the total compensation left on her deal. Under the same parameters as the above example, if Harper opted to take another job on April 1, she would owe Missouri $2.25 million on the $4.5 million contract.
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The open record shows that both Harper and Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch signed the contract on March 19.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Here's what Missouri women’s basketball coach Kellie Harper will be paid