Virginia football coach Tony Elliott contract details, buyout revealed

Virginia football coach Tony Elliott’s contract extension with the school raised his average annual salary to $5.6 million over the next five years, according to a copy of a memorandum of understanding obtained by On3 through a public records request.

Under the terms of the new agreement, Elliott’s total compensation increased to $5.4 million this year. His salary then escalates by $100,000 annually through the end of the deal in May 2031. The terms include a one-year automatic extension if Virginia wins 10 games or reaches the ACC championship, as it did this past season.

If Elliott leaves before the end of March 2029, he would owe Virginia $5 million. He would have to pay a $3 million buyout after that date. His buyout drops to $1 million in the last year of the deal.

Elliott’s previous deal ended in May 2028 and paid him $4.4 million last year. It included a one-year automatic extension that put him under contract with the school through May 2029.

The new contract altered Elliott’s bonus structure by replacing bowl bonuses with incentives based on the number of wins in a season, including bowls. He would make $25,000 if Virginia won seven games and $150,000 if the Cavaliers won 12 games. He is also eligible for higher postseason incentives, including $750,000 if Virginia qualified for the College Football Playoff.

Elliott is entering his fifth season at Virginia. Last year, he led the Cavaliers to a program-record 11 wins and an appearance in the ACC title game. He also won ACC Coach of the Year. Virginia went 11-23 over his first three seasons.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Tony Elliott continue to lead our football program,” Virginia athletics director Carla Williams said in a statement when the school announced the extension earlier this month. “His commitment to the values of the University of Virginia and his commitment to developing the whole person through football have been a blessing. His vision of building the model program has never wavered, despite extraordinary adversity. The future is bright for UVA football and we’re excited to continue this work together.”

In 2025, Virginia captured the top spot in the ACC regular season standings outright for the first time with a 7-1 conference record. It went to the ACC title game for the first time since 2019, where it lost 27-20 to Duke in overtime. Virginia’s No. 16 ranking in the final AP Poll was its highest since 1995.