Matt Kredich Receives $15,000-Per-Year Raise in New Tennessee Contract Extension

University of Tennessee head coach Matt Kredich has signed a new contract extension that raises his base salary to $285,000 per year through April 2030.

The extension was announced in June, but details were only recently revealed.

• 2019 extension
• 2021 extension
• 2022 extension
• 2023 extension
• 2024 extension
• 2025 extension

The new contract represents a $15,000 annual raise over the prior extension that was signed last year.

Kredich has received a contract extension and a raise for six out of the last seven offseasons, excluding 2020 in the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year’s extension included a $10,000 per year raise. In the first year of the current contract, his base pay was $207,000 per year.

Because Kredich’s contract is written with bonuses determined as a percentage of base salary, the new raise also increases the value of the bonuses that he is eligible to earn.

Bonus Structure Throughout the Years:

The extension comes after another history-making season for Tennessee, this time with the men rising up to the occasion.

Prior to the 2023 NCAA Championships, the Vols and Lady Vols had never finished inside the top 10 in the same season, but have now achieved the feat three years in a row. At the 2025 NCAA Championships, both teams placed 5th overall—the first time both eclipsed that threshold in the same season.

For the men that included NCAA titles in the 50 free (Jordan Crooks), 200 free relay, and 400 free relay. The 200 and 400 free relays, as well as Crooks’ prelims swim in the 100 free, all set new NCAA Records.

Other Achievements During His Tenure

Courtesy: Tennessee Athletics

Since 2005-06, Kredich has guided Tennessee student-athletes to a combined 102 SEC and 12 NCAA titles. The two programs have achieved a comprehensive total of 807 All-American certificates under his guidance, while four different Vols and Lady Vols have garnered six SEC Swimmer of the Year honors with his coaching, including two-time 50 free national champion Jordan Crooks in 2023 and 2025. A Tennessee swimmer has won the conference’s top recognition in five of the last seven seasons.

Over the last nine seasons, the Lady Vols have finished fourth or better in the SEC every season, while the Vols have placed inside the top three five times. At the NCAA Championships, the women currently own a streak of seven straight top-10 finishes and have achieved the feat 12 times with Kredich at the helm compared to placing inside the top 10 just three times before his arrival. The Vols have posted top-15 finishes at eight NCAA meets under Kredich, including the first back-to-back-to-back (2023-25) top-10 efforts since achieving the feat from 1989 until 2001.

Bringing in some of the best talent in the world, Kredich has coached 24 Olympians who competed at Tennessee, including three medalists. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Tennessee saw program-record 17 Vols and Lady Vols compete, shattering the previous record of seven from 2020 Tokyo. Throughout the week, UT swimmers won a pair of medals, broke five national records and advanced to seven finals. In addition, he and his staff have trained numerous athletes who qualified for the Olympics after their collegiate careers.

Tennessee student-athletes have excelled in the classroom with Kredich at the helm. Since 2010, the Lady Vols boast 84 first-team Scholar All-Americans and 121 total honorees. As a program, the women have earned CSCAA Scholar All-American Team recognition for 14 consecutive seasons. On the men’s side, a total of 71 Vols received Scholar All-American status, with 40 recognized on the first team, since 2012-13. The program has been named to the Scholar All-American Team list during 21 of the 22 semesters under Kredich.

During the 2023-24 academic year, Martin Espernberger earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, the second time a Tennessee swimmer had won the award under Kredich’s direction. In the last three years, the Big Orange have combined to garner 16 College Sports Communicators Academic All-American selections. He’s had 23 total honorees while at the helm.

With the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign, Kredich finished his 20th season on Rocky Top and 13th as head of both the men’s and women’s programs.