G.J. Kinne didn’t need much time to make his mark with the Texas State Bobcats. The 35-year-old has turned a historically underachieving program into a Sun Belt contender, delivering two of the program’s best records since joining the FBS in 2012.
The result? He got paid. With Texas State 6-5 on the year with two games remaining, leadership believed it was time to give Kinne a raise for the second straight year.
G.J. Kinne’s Salary and Contract in 2024
Texas State is reportedly finalizing an entirely new seven-year deal, which will pay Kinne an average of $2 million per year, making him the highest-paid coach in the Sun Belt Conference. According to ESPN, the program approved the terms of the deal in a board meeting on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
However, further details of Kinne’s upcoming contract have not been released, so let’s dive into his previous deals.
Kinne’s initial guaranteed salary at Texas State was $800,000 on a five-year contract through 2027, nearly identical to the team’s previous coach, Jake Spavital.
Yet, after restructuring his contract in Dec. 2023 — just before he led the Bobcats to a 45-21 First Responders Bowl win over the Rice Owls — Kinne bumped up to $1 million annually through 2028, tying him with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers’ Tim Beck for highest paid coach in the conference.
“We’ve been impressed with his leadership and ability to quickly establish a culture that elevates the experience of our student-athletes,” Texas State AD Don Cornell said in the school’s announcement.
“From bringing in our best newcomer class ever to making our first bowl game to him earning attention from national awards, Coach Kinne has achieved a good amount in year one and this contract extension represents our belief in him to take us to the top of the Sun Belt Conference and beyond.”
The deal also included opportunities for Kinne to increase his salary up to $700,000 annually and extend his contract one year at a time if certain benchmarks were met each season:
- If Texas State football wins eight or more regular-season games, the guaranteed annual salary will increase by $100,000, and the contract will be extended by one year. This will only be awarded once during the length of the contract and is non-cumulative.
- If Texas State football wins the Sun Belt Conference Championship game, the guaranteed annual salary will increase by $200,000, and the contract will be extended by one year. This will only be awarded once during the length of the agreement and is non-cumulative.
- If Texas State is selected to participate in the College Football Playoffs, the guaranteed annual salary will increase by $500,000, and the contract will be extended by one year. This will only be awarded once during the length of the agreement. This increase to guaranteed annual salary is cumulative to any increases for regular season or conference title success.
- Other than an increase corresponding to a College Football Playoff selection (which shall be cumulative to all other achieved increases), if Kinne accomplishes more than one in a year, he will be awarded only the singular increase of the highest value.
- For example, if Kinne has already been awarded the $100,000 increase for winning eight regular-season games in a prior year, the maximum he may be awarded as a guaranteed annual salary increase for winning the Sun Belt Conference Championship game in subsequent years is $100,000.
- At no time shall the term of this contract exceed five years.
Additional one-year extensions under this contract shall not exceed three in number.
The contract further stipulated:
The guaranteed annual salary increase will be capped at $200,000 over the life of this contract, with the exception of a guaranteed annual salary increase associated with a College Football Playoff appearance, which shall be in addition to all other listed increases.
The above increases, if any, and any extension of the contract term, if any, will take effect on Dec. 15 following the achievement of the applicable criteria. The increases, if any, and the extension of the contract, if any, associated with a College Football Playoff selection, shall take effect no later than fifteen (15) days following such selection.
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However, any additional year and increase to Coach’s guaranteed annual salary will not be factored into any liquidated damage calculations listed in Section 3.04 of this contract until Jan. 15 immediately following the achievement of the applicable criteria.
In short, Kinne’s old contract included performance-based incentives: $100,000 for an eight-win season, $200,000 for a Sun Belt title, and $500,000 for a College Football Playoff berth. These bonuses were one-time triggers and capped at a $700,000 total increase if all milestones were achieved.
One of the more notable aspects of Kinne’s previous contract was its unique buyout clause. Initially, it included a 50% buyout provision, meaning Texas State would owe Kinne half of his remaining deal if terminated, and Kinne would owe the same if he resigned. However, last year’s restructuring increased the buyout to 75% of the then-$5 million deal.
That meant if either party were to end the contract, the other would owe approximately $3.75 million. Had Kinne opted to pursue a higher-paying coaching role next offseason, the cost of his departure would’ve dropped to around $3 million — a substantial figure for the Bobcats.
While $3 million may seem modest in the broader landscape of college football, it’s a meaningful sum for a program like Texas State. For context, Sun Belt schools reportedly earn about $3 million annually from their TV deal with ESPN, far less than programs in larger conferences.
Losing a thriving head coach is a challenge for any team, but for a budget-conscious program like Texas State, a significant buyout offers financial relief and resources to rebuild.
Kinne’s Net Worth
With a new seven-year contract at roughly $2 million per year, Kinne’s net worth is at least $14 million. However, that figure doesn’t include any previously accrued earnings nor any of the aforementioned potential success-related base salary increases.
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It also doesn’t include any potential performance-related incentives. As is common in most college coach contracts, Kinne’s deal also featured incentive-based bonuses for retention, performance, and academic standards.
Retention Bonus (NOT CUMULATIVE):
If Kinne is employed as the head football coach at Texas State on the below dates, the program will pay a retention bonus in the following amounts:
- Jan. 1, 2025: $50,000
- Jan. 1, 2026: $50,000
- Jan. 1, 2027: $50,000
- Jan. 1, 2028: $50,000
Annual Athletic Performance Incentives (CUMULATIVE):
- Sun Belt Conference Championship Appearance: $25,000
- Sun Belt Conference Champions: $50,000
- Bowl Game Appearance: $25,000
- Bowl Game Win: $50,000
- CFP Championship Appearance: $200,000
- Win Over Top 25 Opponent: $5,000
- Top 25 Final Ranking: $25,000
- Conference Coach of the Year: $10,000
- National Coach of the Year: $50,000
Annual Academic Performance Incentives (NOT CUMULATIVE):
- APR greater or equal to 960: $7,500
- APR greater or equal to 970: $10,000
- APR greater or equal to 985: $12,500
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