UNT, new football coach Eric Morris finalizing five-year contract starting at $1.2 million annually

Morris replaced Seth Littrell, who was fired after seven seasons with the program.

Morris will earn a base salary of $900,000 per year, plus guaranteed incentives, including a $300,000 annual radio/television stipend.

UNT is expected to finalize a contract that runs to Jan. 31, 2028, with Morris in the next few weeks. The term sheet was signed by Morris, university President Neal Smatresk and athletic director Jared Mosley on Dec. 13.

UNT announced that Morris would take over the program that day.

The term sheet lays out several details of what will be included in the final contract, including retention bonus totals, performance incentives, the salary pool UNT will provide Morris for assistant coaches and buyout terms.

Morris will receive an annual retention bonus that starts at $100,000 on Jan. 31, 2024. The bonus escalates by $25,000 annually and tops out at $200,000 in 2028.

The performance incentives in the term sheet include a $20,000 bonus if UNT wins six conference games or seven games total each season. Morris will receive another $20,000 for each additional win up to eight conference wins or nine total wins.

Winning 10 games in a season would result in Morris being paid an additional $10,000.

Morris would earn $35,000 if UNT plays in a conference championship game or a bowl game.

Littrell was making $1.35 million in base salary when he was fired. His total compensation was $1.9 million.

UNT also laid out the salary pool Morris will have to work with to pay his on- and off-field assistants. The school will provide $2.4 million for Morris’ 10 on-field assistant coaches, $1.1 million for non-coaching staff and $243,850 for strength and conditioning staff.

UNT and Morris also came to an agreement on buyout terms.

The school would be required to pay 100% of Morris’ base salary for the first 36 months of the agreement, plus 60% of his base salary for the last 24 months if he is fired without cause.

If Morris were to leave UNT, he would pay the school 60% of his base salary for the remaining months left in the term of the contract.

The full contract must be approved by the UNT Board of Regents.

Morris is taking over a team that finished 7-7 after falling to Boise State in the Frisco Bowl last week. The Mean Green have played in bowl games in six of the last seven years and will make the move to the American Athletic Conference this summer.

“I couldn’t be more excited to take on that challenge,” Morris said. “We have some things in place right now that we can get this thing to the top level and bring championships back to Denton. That will be my goal from day one.”