Details of Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin's contract extension revealed

Athletic director Scott Stricklin signed a contact extension with the University of Florida in July, the details of which were reported Monday by Zach Abolverdi of Gators Online.

Stricklin received an overall raise of $547,100 annually, according to Gators Online, including a base salary increase up from $545,900 to $1,000,000 annually. Stricklin was also bumped up from $150,000 to $270,000 annually for press relations responsibilities, according to a contract released Monday by Florida and obtained by Gators Online.

Stricklin’s first contract was set to expire on Oct. 31, 2024. However, after the extension — which drove up the total value of Stricklin’s deal from $1,150,900 annually to $1,725,000 — he is now under contract at the University of Florida through Oct. 31, 2027.

Stricklin’s annual salary does not include benefits such as funds used for automobile tickets, travel and more, which according to Gators Online is valued at $62,000 per year. Stricklin is eligible for a few different bonuses, including a $100,000 bonus and a bonus based on the program’s performance in the Director’s Cup. Specifically, he receives $100,000 for a top-five finish, $75,000 for a top-10 finish and $50,000 for a top-15 finish.

If Stricklin is terminated without cause, Gators Online reports that he will be paid his base salary and retention incentive for the remainder of the term.

Stricklin was hired by Florida on Nov. 1, 2016, coming to Gainesville with roughly 30 years of collegiate athletics experience. Prior to his arrival at Florida, he served as the athletic director at Mississippi State, where he conducted the search process to hire head coach Dan Mullen. Mullen amassed a 69-46 record in nine years at Mississippi State, going bowling every year except his first and last. He had a 5-2 record in bowl games at Missisippi State. When Stricklin came over from Mississippi State to Florida, he brought Mullen along with him, but Mullen was far less successful at Florida than at Mississippi State. The Gators went 29-9 in his first three years at the helm, but in his fourth season, Florida went just 5-6 under Mullen in 2021. Stricklin then fired Mullen in the middle of the season and replaced him with Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Billy Napier.

Since taking over the Gators athletic department, Stricklin’s tenure has seen Florida win five national championships in women’s tennis (2017), outdoor track and field (2017), baseball (2017), men’s indoor track and field (2018 and 2018), as well as 21 conference titles.

Stricklin was named the Sports Business Journal’s 2020 Athletic Director of the Year, his second time winning the honor. He also received the honor in the 2015-16 academic year, while serving as Mississippi State’s athletic director.