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Group of 5🛡️ Fragile Stability (1/5)

Sonny Cumbie

Head Football Coach Louisiana Tech (Bulldogs)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)
$875,000
3 months remaining (106 days)
Annual Salary
$1,000,000
Base + Supplemental Talent
Contract Expires
2026-12-31
Hired: 2021-11-30
Coach Leaves Buyout
$800,000
Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival
Daily Amortization
$2,327
Buyout drops each day
University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $875,000

Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $875,000. (School reported that Cumbie declined the $25,000 bonus he was set to receive for the team's appearance in the Independence Bowl, and 'a portion of those funds were redirected as a bonus for the non-contracted football staff.')

Payment Structure:Annual Installments
Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)
Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$290,212
Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $800,000

If Sonny Cumbie accepts a position as head coach with another collegiate program or an NFL franchise prior to 2026-12-31, he or his new employer is legally bound to pay this liquidated departure penalty.

Departure Fee:$800,000
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 (1/5) • Hot Seat (Pending)

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

Contract Job Stability
Level 1 / 5
Fragile Stability
Low Financial Barrier$875,000 Buyout Firewall

Negligible financial barrier; athletic director can execute termination with minimal economic hardship.

Contract Safeguard: Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $875,000. (School reported that Cumbie declined the $25,000 bonus he was set to receive for the team's appearance in the Independence Bowl, and 'a portion of those funds were redirected as a bonus for the non-contracted football staff.')
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 Sonny Cumbie

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

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

LO
Louisiana TechGroup of 5 • Contract thru 2026-12-31
Annual Salary
$1,000,000
Current Buyout (Today)
$875,000
Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (106 days remaining on contract)
Or pick any exact date:
Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16
$875,000
Official USA Today Verified Buyout
Savings by Delaying to This Date
$0
Natural amortization saves $2,327 / day
If Coach Leaves Voluntarily
$800,000
Amount coach / hiring team owes Louisiana Tech

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

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

Contract Calculation Formula:

USA Today FOIA benchmark: $875,000. Data aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline.

Key Contractual Stipulations
  • Multi-year employment agreement
  • Performance-based bonus structure
  • Standard termination provisions

Data aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (1):

Louisiana Tech Head Coach Contract TermsLouisiana Tech Athletics Official Records • 2026-09-13
View Source

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