Florida Gators’ Head Coaches Jim McElwain, Mike White Receive Contract Extentions
By Chris Harry, Senior Writer, Florida Gators // June 19, 2017
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GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA (FLORIDA GATORS) – One won a second straight Southeastern Conference Eastern Division football title. The other fueled a resurgence of the basketball program that steamrolled to the Elite Eight.
Now both Florida coaches will be rewarded with new contracts.
The University Athletic Association announced Friday that football coach Jim McElwain and basketball coach Mike White had agreed to contract extensions that will lock them up with the Gators through the next six seasons.
McElwain’s new deal is a six-year, $26.9 million pact and will take him through the 2022 season, while White’s six-year deal will pay him $16.3 million through 2023.
“Both Coach Mac and Coach White have done a phenomenal job of leading our programs and we are looking forward to having them lead the Gators for years to come,” UF athletic director Scott Stricklin said.
“As much as both have won games and provided a lot of great memories for our fans and stability for the programs they lead, they have both had a huge impact on the development and personal growth of the athletes they coach.”
In his second season with the Gators, McElwain guided the team to a 9-4 record in 2016, a second straight SEC East crown and berth in the SEC Championship Game, then capped the campaign with a 30-3 blowout of Iowa in the Outback Bowl at Tampa. McElwain is 19-8 in his two UF seasons, including a 13-3 mark in regular-season conference play.
His raise is the second in as many years and averages $4.48 million per season, up from his previous $4.16 average.
White, who took over for Billy Donovan in 2015 and settled for a National Invitational Tournament in his first season, was named 2017 SEC Coach of the Year after leading the Gators to a 27-9 mark and deep run into the NCAA Tournament that ended one victory shy of the Final Four.
His reworked contract is worth $2.7 million per season after he earned just over $1.9 million last season. White is 48-24 in his two UF seasons and 23-13 in league play.
The contracts take into account base pay, media and television responsibilities, licensing fees, expense accounts, pension, retention bonuses and incentive clauses. For McElwain, the latter includes reaching the SEC title game, qualifying for a bowl, a top-10 finish and any coach-of-the- year honors. For White, NCAA Tournament berths and advancement, along with coaching accolades can trigger the clauses.
The maximum bonus potential for McElwain is $825,000. White’s is $300,000.
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