He is gonna need at least 8 regular season wins to do that and maybe 9. This team isn't winning 9 games IMO. Gotta remember, someone would have to want him bad enough to pay UT $3m to hire him away. Then you have got to get him a salary at least close to what he is making here. So now you are talking big bucks. Not a lot of programs are gonna fall into that category of being willing to spend big bucks and the guy they select to do it on is CBJ who's best record is 8-4 in 5 years.
NFL OC job is even less likely. He's not an NFL OC. Not even close.
If we kinda want him gone but not bad enough to pay his buyout, we could easily wave the buyout on his end if he wanted to go somewhere else.
I'm sure we are gonna do everything possible to avoid that $7.5m hit.
I just don't think someone is gonna want him bad enough for us to get out of it. Don't think he is gonna win enough to be a hot commodity.
How would that even work? Would Currie call teams on his behalf and offer him up with a reduced/no buyout? Because as you said, I don't see many/any schools calling on him after this year unless he surprises and beats Bama or wins 9 regular season games.
That might lead to some takers among lower-tier P5 or high-level G5 schools. Butch actually strikes me as the type of coach who would rather move to an easier job and keep coaching/save face than get fired and pocket $7.5 million. Because once you're out of coaching, especially without some marquee success on your resume, you may not get another chance. He could potentially have to start over at an FCS or lower-tier G5 school if he had the black mark of being fired at Tennessee with no major tangible success to tout.
He's not gonna go down to a non P5 or a lower level P5 without his $7.5m. He could get those jobs and keep his buyout money. I don't care how sensitive he is or how much he doesn't want "fired" on his resume.
Jimmy Sexton is his agent. If he finds a suitor he would negotiate the buyout being lowered. Gotta be the right school in the right situation though. Not a lot of schools fall into that category.
Reading all of this about Butch wanting out after last season tells me all I need to know. You aren't going to give your all to this job if your mind is constantly on "how the hell do I get out of this".
It's obvious he is in over his head and apparently he realizes it. I think the 2015 season broke him- he hasn't been the same sense and neither has the team.
Is there any language in his contract about his buyout being reduced if he gets another head coaching job after being fired?
I don't think so. I think Darth linked the contract earlier. I know he linked an old one but may have followed up with the revised one. It's like 28 pages though. Godspeed. Lol.
That's interesting. I also wonder how that works. Seems like Sexton could just play hardball with Currie while secretly negotiating with schools that have interest, let CBJ get fired and pocket the buyout money, and then get him inked at some lower-tier P5 program.
I don't think so. I think Darth linked the contract earlier. I know he linked an old one but may have followed up with the revised one. It's like 28 pages though. Godspeed. Lol.
Here is what was said about his original contract from 2012:
"If Jones is fired without cause, Tennessee will owe him as much as $2 million per year, payable in monthly installments. If terminated, Jones is required to make “reasonable best efforts to mitigate the university’s obligation to pay liquid damage,” meaning UT would be relieved of his buyout payment should he find another job that pays him $2 million or more after he leaves. Tennessee would owe him the difference if he gets a job that pays him less than $2 million per year.
If he is fired with cause, UT would owe him no further money."
http://nooga.com/158907/breaking-down-new-ut-coach-butch-jones-contract/
CBJ has a duty to mitigate liquidated damages. In boilerplate verbiage, if he's fired without cause, CBJ is required to make reasonable best efforts to mitigate the universitys obligation to pay liquid damage. So if he finds another suitable coaching job at the college or NFL level, UT would only owe him the difference between $2.5M and his new salary (if under $2.5M) for the term of the contract. If he finds a job that pays him $2.5M+ a year-- or if he is fired with cause-- UT is relieved of obligation to pay buyout money.
His contract is probably online if someone wants to Google the specifics. Mitigation of damages is standard in coaches contracts.
Edit: Excellent! VFLBerg already has.