A look at how much bonus money Tennessee's Rick Barnes can earn in NCAA Tournament

Tennessee Basketball earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday triggered a $200,000 raise for head coach Rick Barnes. The amount of bonus money will continue to go up based on how far the Vols advance in the 68-team bracket.

Barnes, who has led Tennessee to seven straight NCAA Tournaments, setting a new program record, is the seventh-highest paid head coach in college basketball at $5.8 million, according to USA Today’s database.

His contract carries a maximum bonus of $3 million, higher than any other coach in college basketball. Arizona State’s Bobby Hurley is next with a maximum bonus of $2.09 million. 

The $200,000 NCAA Tournament bonus money for Barnes goes up to $400,000 if the Vols make it to the second round, $600,000 if they go to the Sweet 16 and $800,000 if they go back to the Elite Eight for a second straight year.

Should Barnes take Tennessee to its first Final Four, the bonus money goes up to $1 million. An appearance in the national championship game is worth $1.2 million. A national championship would be worth $1.5 million.

Up Next: Tennessee vs. Wofford, First Round, Thursday

Tennessee (27-7) is the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region and will play No. 15 Wofford (19-15) on Thursday (6:50 p.m. Eastern Time, TNT) at Rupp Arena in Lexington. The Vols and Terriers are opposite of No. 7 UCLA and No. 10 Utah State. 

Barnes would have received $200,000 had Tennessee beat Florida in the SEC Tournament championship on Sunday. He received $400,000 after leading Tennessee to the SEC regular-season championship a year ago. 

Other bonus money in the Barnes contract includes $400,000 for a finish in the top five of the final Associated Press Top 25, $200,000 for a top-10 ranking or $100,000 for a top-25 ranking.

The Vols have been ranked for 78 straight weeks, the second-longest streak in the country and more than doubling the previous program record of 37 straight weeks ranked. 

Tennessee is ranked No. 6 this week and has been ranked in the top 10 for all but one week this season, including a streak of 19 straight weeks. The Vols were ranked No. 1 for five straight weeks in December and early January and were ranked in the top five for 10 weeks. 

There is bonus money for academic achievements as well. Barnes gets $50,000 if Tennessee has a single-year APR (Academic Progress Rate) score of 960 or greater and $100,000 for a single-year APR score of 980 or greater.

It was announced last June that the Vols had a perfect 1000 multi-year APR score for the third consecutive year. 

Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament history under Rick Barnes

Barnes has led Tennessee to a No. 2 seed three times, a No. 3 seed twice, a No. 4 seed and a No. 5. Barnes has led the program to the NCAA Tournament seven straight times.

Last season the Vols went to the Elite Eight for just the second time after going through No. 15 Saint Peter’s, No. 7 Texas and No. 3 Creighton, before falling to No. 1 Purdue in the Midwest Regional final at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Barnes became Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament wins leader when the Vols beat Creighton last March, giving him nine tournament wins.

Two years ago the Vols went to the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 4 seed, beating No. 13-seed Louisiana in the first round and No. 5 Duke in the second round. They lost 62-55 to No. 9 Florida Atlantic in the third round. 

They were a No. 3 in 2022, beating Longwood in the first round before being upset by No. 11-seed Michigan in the second round. They were a No. 3 in 2018, beating Wright State before losing to No. 11-seed Loyola-Chicago.