Western Kentucky brought in Tyson Helton to be their head coach to help the program move in a new direction. After four seasons of strong offensive play, the Hilltoppers gave him an extension. Let’s take a closer look at Helton’s current contract, salary, and net worth.
Tyson Helton’s Salary and Contract in 2023
Back in late 2018, Helton signed a four-year contract with WKU to be their new head coach. His deal included a salary of $800,000 and the ability to receive up to $400,000 in incentives based on performance. Those performance incentives included:
- $100,000 if the team wins a New Year’s Six bowl game
- $50,000 if the team wins a bowl game
- $50,000 if the team finishes the season with a winning percentage over .500
- $50,000 if the team wins the conference title
- $50,000 if the team posts an academic progress rate between 950-969 and an APR of 970 or higher
- $25,000 if the team’s season ticket sales exceed 12,000 per year
- $25,000 for winning C-USA Coach of the Year
Last March, Helton signed a contract extension with the team that raised his base salary to $900,000 as it runs through the 2025 season.
There were changes to his bonus from the original contract as well:
- $100,000 for APR of 950 or more
- $50,000 for an appearance in the conference title game
- $50,000 for a conference title game win
Details of his buyout and termination details were revealed as well. If Helton left the school prior to the contract ending, he would need to pay back a certain amount for each year. Those amounts include:
- $1,100,000 between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2023
- $800,000 between Jan. 1, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024
- $500,000 between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2025
MORE: 2023 C-USA Standings
On the flip side, if Western Kentucky fired Helton before the contract ended, there would be similar 12-month intervals they would have to pay the coach. That breakdown is as follows:
- $3,150,000 between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2023
- $2,225,000 between Jan. 1, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024
- $1,350,000 between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2025
- $1,000,000 between Jan. 1, 2026, and Dec. 31, 2027
Tyson Helton’s Net Worth
Helton’s net worth is not known, but based on the team’s performance over the last few years, he is looking at being around $900,000 to $1 million last year and this year. How much more he will receive from the school in 2023 will depend on the team’s play, but he should be able to secure at least $900,000 for the year.