Gus Malzahn will earn $6.7 million next season, the first in a seven-year, $49 million contract that was previously agreed to, but wasn't released in full until Tuesday.
Malzahn will earn an average of $7 million over the length of the deal, which was reported on Dec. 3 and as AL.com reported last month, 75 percent is fully guaranteed in the event Auburn were to terminate its head football coach before the end of the contract, which runs through Dec. 31, 2024, or the day after Auburn's last football game of that season.
Should Auburn terminate Malzahn under the terms of the new contract, it would owe him 50 percent of his buyout within 30 days and the remaining 50 percent in four equal annual installments.
Under his old contract, which ran through 2020, Malzahn was earning $4.725 million per year and his buyout was $2,237,500 per year.
Malzahn's base salary remains $500,000 and he's compensated $3,100,000 for both his personal endorsement rights and radio, internet and TV rights and personal appearances in 2018, with each increasing by $50,000 per year over the life of the deal.
The $6.7 million he'll earn in 2018 would've ranked fourth nationally last year, according to USA Today's football coach salaries database, though Jimbo Fisher, who is making $10 million at Texas A&M, is among the coaches who have also received increases in compensation since that was compiled.
Should Malzahn choose to leave Auburn before the end of the contract, he would owe $7,000,000 if he did so before Dec. 31, 2019, $5,000,000 if before Dec. 31, 2020, $3,000,000 if before Dec. 31, 2021, $2,000,000 if before Dec. 31, 2022 and $1,000,000 if after Dec. 31, 2022.
Previously, he would've owed Auburn the total of any outstanding payments owed to his assistants who either don't follow him to a new employer or were not retained by the new coaching staff if he chose to leave before the end of his old contract.
There is a slight revision to a performance bonus for postseason play for Malzahn, who will still earn $200,000 if Auburn does not play in the SEC Championship Game but still earns a bid to a New Year's Six bowl, including a College Football Playoff semifinal. However, if Auburn plays in the SEC Championship Game and loses but still goes to a New Year's Six bowl, as it did in 2017, Malzahn will earn a $100,000 bonus.
Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn's contract:
Year: Base salary + personal endorsement rights + radio, internet & TV rights
2018: $500,000 + $3,100,000 + $3,100,000 = $6,700,000
2019: $500,000 + $3,150,000 + $3,150,000 = $6,800,000
2020: $500,000 + $3,200,000 + $3,200,000 = $6,900,000
2021: $500,000 + $3,250,000 + $3,250,000 = $7,000,000
2022: $500,000 + $3,300,000 + $3,300,000 = $7,100,000
2023: $500,000 + $3,350,000 + $3,350,000 = $7,200,000
2024: $500,000 + $3,400,000 + $3,400,000 = $7,300,000
James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.