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TC
Big 12🛡️ Moderate Stability (3/5)Private University Est.

Sonny Dykes

Head Football Coach TCU (Horned Frogs)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)
$13,705,055
27 months remaining (837 days)
Annual Salary
$7,036,013
Base + Supplemental Talent
Contract Expires
2028-12-31
Hired: 2021-11-29
Coach Leaves Buyout
$3,000,000
Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival
Daily Amortization
$16,374
Buyout drops each day
University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $13,705,055

Private institution estimate based on 2.3 contracted years remaining through 2028-12-31.

Payment Structure:Annual Installments
Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)
Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$16,123,594
Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $3,000,000

If Sonny Dykes accepts a position as head coach with another collegiate program or an NFL franchise prior to 2028-12-31, he or his new employer is legally bound to pay this liquidated departure penalty.

Departure Fee:$3,000,000
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 (3/5) • Hot Seat (Pending)

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

Contract Job Stability
Level 3 / 5
Moderate Stability
Standard Contract Terms$13,705,055 Buyout Firewall

Standard Power Four buyout structure; financially painful but manageable with coordinated athletic department support.

Contract Safeguard: Private institution estimate based on 2.3 contracted years remaining through 2028-12-31.
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 Dykes

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

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

TC
Sonny DykesSecurePrivate Est.
TCUBig 12 • Contract thru 2028-12-31
Annual Salary
$7,036,013
Current Buyout (Today)
$13,705,055
Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (837 days remaining on contract)
Or pick any exact date:
Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16
$13,705,055
Private Institution (IRS 990 / Industry Estimate)
Savings by Delaying to This Date
$0
Natural amortization saves $16,374 / day
If Coach Leaves Voluntarily
$3,000,000
Amount coach / hiring team owes TCU

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

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

Contract Calculation Formula:

Private university contracts are exempt from FOIA disclosure. Figure is estimated at 85% of remaining salary (27 months @ $7,036,013/yr).

💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$2.99M.

Key Contractual Stipulations
  • Multi-year term through December 2028
  • Annual salary structure based on current baseline
  • Standard university termination provisions

Salary aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline. Buyout data remains estimated due to lack of explicit reported figures in provided sources.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (1):

TCU Head Coach Contract TermsTCU Athletics Official Records • 2026-09-13
View Source

Private Institution Notice: As a private entity, TCU is not subject to state Freedom of Information Act disclosures. Figures are estimated using IRS Form 990 non-profit tax reporting and corroborated reporting from national sports media.