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Group of 5🛡️ Vulnerable Stability (2/5)

Mark Carney

Head Football Coach Kent State (Golden Flashes)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)
$2,000,000
39 months remaining (1202 days)
Annual Salary
$300,000
Base + Supplemental Talent
Contract Expires
2029-12-31
Hired: 2025-04-16
Coach Leaves Buyout
$2,000,000
Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival
Daily Amortization
$698
Buyout drops each day
University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $2,000,000

Fixed step-down schedule: $2,000,000 through Dec 31, 2026, stepping down to $1.5M in 2027, $1.0M in 2028, and prorated salary in 2029.

Payment Structure:Annual Installments
Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)
Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$987,269
Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $2,000,000

If Mark Carney accepts a position as head coach with another collegiate program or an NFL franchise prior to 2029-12-31, he or his new employer is legally bound to pay this liquidated departure penalty.

Departure Fee:$2,000,000
School Retention Leverage:Standard College Buyout
Coaching Stance & Contractual Security

Job Stability vs. The Hot Seat

How Our Two-Axis Model Works
0/5 Votes

Pending Fan Consensus

Tension Rating: Stability (2/5) • Hot Seat (Pending)

Contract Job Stability is rated Vulnerable Stability. Awaiting 5 more community vote(s) to officially establish the Hot Seat alignment.

Contract Job Stability
Level 2 / 5
Vulnerable Stability
Accessible Buyout Hurdle$2,000,000 Buyout Firewall

Modest buyout relative to athletic revenues; university holds substantial financial leverage.

Contract Safeguard: Fixed step-down schedule: $2,000,000 through Dec 31, 2026, stepping down to $1.5M in 2027, $1.0M in 2028, and prorated salary in 2029.
Mitigation Duty: None (fully guaranteed sum)
The Hot Seat (Community Consensus)
Consensus Building
Consensus Building0 / 5 Votes

Hot Seat score requires at least 5 votes to show, only 0 votes cast so far.

5 more votes needed to unlock public heat score. Cast your vote below!

Interactive Amortization Simulator for Mark Carney

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

See how contract amortization, date milestones, and mitigation clauses reduce buyout liability over time.

KE
Mark CarneyUntouchable
Kent StateGroup of 5 • Contract thru 2029-12-31
Annual Salary
$300,000
Current Buyout (Today)
$2,000,000
Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (1202 days remaining on contract)
Or pick any exact date:
Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16
$2,000,000
Contractual Fixed Step Schedule
Savings by Delaying to This Date
$0
Natural amortization saves $698 / day
If Coach Leaves Voluntarily
$2,000,000
Amount coach / hiring team owes Kent State

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

No Mitigation Required (Full Guarantee)
Important: Mark Carney's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, Kent State is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!

Contract Calculation Formula:

School termination buyout without cause between Oct 30, 2025 and Dec 31, 2026 ($2,000,000).

💡 Buyout decreases to $1,500,000 on 2027-01-01.

Key Contractual Stipulations
  • Multi-year term through December 2029
  • Fixed annual salary structure
  • Performance-based bonus eligibility

Salary aligned with October 2025 baseline. Buyout data insufficient for specific coach-departure figure; defaulted to 0 per baseline constraints.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (1):

Kent State Head Coach Contract TermsKent State Athletics Official Records • 2026-09-13
View Source

FOIA Verified: As an arm of state government, Kent State releases employment agreements and board-approved amendments under public records legislation.