Nick Mingione agrees to significant contract extension with Kentucky

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Kentucky HC Nick Mingione — (Ethan Rand | UK Athletics)

Nick Mingione is here to stay in Lexington.

According to Derek Terry of the Bat Cats Central, Mingione has agreed to a significant contract extension with the Kentucky baseball program that will keep him as head coach through the 2029 season. Mingione’s yearly salary will now be $1,435,000. He was set to earn $805,000 in the 2025 season prior to this extension.

Per the UK Office of Legal Counsel, the new deal was agreed upon by UK President Eli Capilouto on Thursday. Mingione will now earn an automatic one-year extension whenever he leads Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament. Below is his year-by-year salary with the updated contract.

2025 salary: $1,175,000
2026 salary: $1,275,000
2027 salary: $1,375,000
2028 salary: $1,575,000
2029 salary: $1,775,000

Breaking: Kentucky and baseball coach Nick Mingione have agreed to a new five-year extension. Mingione's salary will increase significantly under the new deal. Details here: https://t.co/G6Z1D6l0Wm
— Derek Terry (@DerekSTerry) September 6, 2024

Mingione, who is about to enter year nine as Kentucky’s head coach, previously signed an extension last October after a 40-21 finish in 2023 that saw the Wildcats make it to the Super Regional before falling to eventual national champion LSU.

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But 2024 was his best run yet and the best in program history. Kentucky posted a 46-16 overall record (22-8 SEC) and made it to the College World Series for the first time. As part of the new extension, if the Wildcats make it back to the CWS, Mingione will add two years to his contract. His salary will also bump up an extra $200,000 from the previous season in the event of another CWS appearance for the Wildcats.

If Mingione elects to leave before his contract is up, he would owe the prorated salary of the remaining contract. That number would be cut in half if Mitch Barnhart is no longer the school’s athletic director. If UK elects to terminate the contract entirely without cause, they would owe Mingione the full remaining amount.