Group of 5🛡️ Vulnerable Stability (2/5)

Willie Simmons

Head Football Coach • FIU (Panthers)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)

$2,097,946

39 months remaining (1202 days)

Annual Salary

$750,000

Base + Supplemental Talent

Contract Expires

2029-12-31

Hired: 2024-12-08

Coach Leaves Buyout

$1,000,000

Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival

Daily Amortization

$1,745

Buyout drops each day

University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $2,097,946

State contract estimate: 3.3 years remaining guaranteed through 2029-12-31.

Payment Structure:Annual Installments

Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)

Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$2,468,172

Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $1,000,000

If Willie Simmons 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:$1,000,000

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 • $2,097,946 Buyout Firewall

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

Contract Safeguard: State contract estimate: 3.3 years remaining guaranteed through 2029-12-31.

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 Willie Simmons

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

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

Select Coach (Alphabetical by School)

Willie SimmonsUntouchable

FIU • Group of 5 • Contract thru 2029-12-31

Annual Salary

$750,000

Current Buyout (Today)

$2,097,946

Hypothetical Termination Date

Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (1202 days remaining on contract)

Or pick any exact date:

Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16

$2,097,946

85% of Remaining Total Salary

Savings by Delaying to This Date

Natural amortization saves $1,745 / day

If Coach Leaves Voluntarily

$1,000,000

Amount coach / hiring team owes FIU

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

No Mitigation Required (Full Guarantee)

Important: Willie Simmons's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, FIU is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!

Contract Calculation Formula:

The school guarantees 85% of the unearned salary remaining through 2029-12-31 (39 months @ $750,000/yr).

💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$319K.

Key Contractual Stipulations

•Multi-year term through 2029
•Performance-based bonus structure
•Percentage-based buyout model

Salary aligned with October 2025 baseline. Buyout model set to percentage_remaining as proposed.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (1):

FIU Head Coach Contract TermsFIU Athletics Official Records • 2026-09-13

View Source

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

Other Head Coaches in the Group of 5