When Mark Pope returned to Lexington last April to replace John Calipari as the head coach of the University of Kentucky (UK) men’s basketball team, his contract contained specific provisions that would activate if he led the Wildcats to the Sweet 16. In his inaugural season at the helm, these provisions have come into effect.

On Sunday night, the third-seeded Kentucky team secured an 84-75 win over sixth-seeded Illinois in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, earning their first Sweet 16 berth since 2019. This achievement has triggered changes in Pope’s contract.

Pope’s initial five-year contract with UK, signed last spring, stipulated a $5 million salary for the 2024-25 season, with annual increments of $250,000. Crucially, the contract included an automatic one-year extension for any season in which UK reached at least the Sweet 16, provided there were no more than five seasons remaining on the contract at that time.

Consequently, Pope’s contract now extends through the 2029-30 season. In line with the contract’s terms, his salary will increase by $250,000 for this additional year. Thus, Pope is set to earn $5.25 million for the 2025-26 season, $5.5 million for 2026-27, $5.75 million for 2027-28, $6 million for 2028-29, and $6.25 million for the newly added 2029-30 season.

According to the USA Today database of coaching salaries, Pope is currently the 11th-highest-paid men’s basketball coach among public university coaches, based on his $5 million salary for the 2024-25 season. He trails coaches like Bill Self (Kansas), Dan Hurley (Connecticut), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Mick Cronin (UCLA), Bruce Pearl (Auburn), Rick Barnes (Tennessee), Scott Drew (Baylor), Tommy Lloyd (Arizona), and Nate Oats (Alabama).

Pope’s contract also outlines potential bonuses tied to his team’s academic performance and on-court success. He has already earned a $50,000 bonus this season for reaching the Sweet 16. If Kentucky advances to the Elite Eight with a win over Tennessee on Friday night, this bonus will increase to $100,000. The bonus would rise to $250,000 if UK reaches the Final Four and $500,000 if the Wildcats win the national championship this season.

Additionally, each of Kentucky’s five assistant coaches—Alvin Brooks III, Mark Fox, Cody Fueger, Jason Hart, and Mikhail McLean—will receive a bonus of at least $20,000 due to the team’s advancement to the NCAA Tournament’s second week.