Kentucky finalizes extension with baseball coach Nick Mingione

The University of Kentucky and head baseball coach Nick Mingione have agreed to an extension that will keep him under contract through the 2028 season. The contract was posted to the UK Office of Legal Counsel page and was signed by the Office of the President on Oct. 5.

The new deal comes after the Wildcats finished 40-21 and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Kentucky, which was ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 2018 and held the No. 1 spot in the RPI for much of the season, reached the NCAA super regionals for just the second time in program history. 

Mingione signed a three-year extension early in the 2021 season that was set to expire in June of 2025. That contract guaranteed a one-year extension when Kentucky made the NCAA Tournament, so Mingione was locked in through 2026. However, the one-year extension clause for making the NCAA Tournament was eliminated in the amended contract.

Mingione’s contract extension and salary increase is the latest commitment to the baseball program by athletic director Mitch Barnhart. New recruiting coordinator Austin Cousino will earn $170,000 in 2024 and $187,000 in 2025. Nick Ammirati, who will fulfill the third full-time assistant position that was approved by the NCAA this year, will earn $40,000 from the university but will also be compensated through Kentucky’s summer camps. A source told KSR in the summer that pitching coach Dan Roszel also received a two-year extension that will pay him over $250,000 annually, but that contract has not yet been finalized by the university. 

Changes To Nick Mingione’s Contract

Nick Mingione’s previous contract contained a buyout clause that would lessen the cost on the university side if the contract was terminated. That buyout clause no longer exists, meaning Mingione would receive the remaining money on his contract if it’s terminated without cause.

In addition, Mingione’s base salary will remain $400,000 per year, but his “media and endorsements” salary will increase from $175,000 to $305,000 for the 2024 season and increase by $100,000 yearly after that. Here’s what Mingione will make each year under his new contract before incentives: 

• 2024 salary: $705,000
• 2025 salary: $805,000
• 2026 salary: $905,000
• 2027 salary: $1,005,000
• 2028 salary: $1,105,000 

Mingione will receive a $2,500 incentive bonus if the team’s GPA is over 3.0 in both the fall and spring semesters. However, the bigger change comes based on postseason performance. 

• If Kentucky participates in a Super Regional as a visiting team, Mingione will receive a $50,000 bonus. 
• If Kentucky hosts a Super Regional, Mingione will receive a $100,000 bonus.
• If Kentucky participates in the College World Series, Mingione will receive a $200,000 bonus. 
• If Kentucky wins the College World Series, Mingione will receive a $250,000 bonus. 

Those bonuses are not cumulative, so Mingione would receive a one-time bonus of $100,000 if Kentucky hosts a Super Regional.