Regarded as one of the most decorated Head Coaches in college basketball, Rick Barnes has helped the Tennessee Volunteers reach new heights in nine seasons. The 2024-25 season will be his 10th at Tennessee and his 37th as a head coach. Over his 37 years as a head coach, Barnes has helped 44 players make it to the NBA.

He’s coached 33 NBA Draft picks, including 19 first-round selections, eight lottery picks, six top-10 picks, three top-five picks, and two No. 2 picks. These players have collectively earned over $1.05 billion in on-court NBA salaries. But what about Rick’s earnings? How much does he make?

What is Rick Barnes’s contract with the Tennessee Volunteers? How long is the deal?

In September 2023, Rick Barnes signed a contract extension that will keep him at Tennessee until April 15, 2028. This is the latest extension for Tennessee’s athletic director Danny White, who typically extends the deals of coaches by a year. Tennessee has provided similar contracts to their other coaches, including former women’s basketball coach Kellie Harper and baseball coach Tony Vitello.

Barnes’ deal pays out a total of $29.4 million through the end of the term. The total represents an average of $5.88 million per year. Barnes, meanwhile, gets a modest raise with this deal. For instance, Barnes earned $5.7 million in the 2023–24 season, and the pay is projected to rise to $6 million from the 2026–27 season to the 2027–28 season.

How much will Rick Barnes earn in the 2024-25 NCAA season?

Rick Barnes’ base salary is $5.45 million as he enters the 2024-25 NCAA season. But his overall earnings will be much higher through performance based bonuses. Barnes, for instance, collected a $200,000 bonus when he took the Volunteers to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. He also will get a $100,000 bonus for Tennessee being ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 final poll.

Barnes will earn around $6.15 million for the 2024-25 season with these incentives in place. This consists of his base salary and the $700,000 in bonuses that can increase to $3M, which are linked to his team’s success and ranking during the season. That places Barnes among the highest earners in college basketball.

What was Rick Barnes’s previous contract with the Tennessee Volunteers?

Since his arrival at Tennessee in 2015, Rick Barnes has steadily increased his earnings. His first contract with the Volunteers was a six year, $21 million deal that averaged $3.5 million per year. However, his performance, as well as market demands, made him go through numerous renegotiations and extensions over time, resulting in a huge increment of his salary.

A notable extension was in April 2019 when Barnes was approached by UCLA. As a result, his salary was renegotiated to include a $250,000 raise every year. Bringing his salary closer to competitive market levels. This deal also brought a $5 million buyout clause, which helped keep any other suitors at bay. The contract was subsequently extended in 2021 and 2022, which pushed Barnes’ 2024 25 salary to $5.45 million.

What is Rick Barnes’s net worth in 2025?

Rick Barnes net worth as of March 2025 is $16 million. This includes his salary, bonuses and wealth accumulated over nearly 40 years of coaching. With $5.45 million guaranteed on salary this season and another $700,000 in performance bonuses, Barnes’ financial situation shows both his years of dedication to coaching and his ability to play at the highest levels.

Barnes’ wealth is not just from his salary, but also from his ability to develop players, who go on to the NBA and make millions. Barnes’ success is paying off for him and his players.