Head football coach Lance Leipold received a five-year contract extension running through the 2023 season, UB Athletics announced on Tuesday.
Leipold came to UB in 2014 and just completed his fourth season as head coach. He led Buffalo to a school-record 10 wins and 7-1 record in the Mid-American Conference this season. The Bulls appeared in just their second MAC Championship game and earned the third-ever bowl berth. Leipold receives a $159,500 salary increase with the extension.
Leipold will earn $465,000 as a base salary and additional compensation of $150,000 for a total of $615,000, as reported by The Buffalo News. Leipold earned $413,168 in 2017, according to the 2017 UB Athletics budget obtained by The Spectrum.
The Spectrum filed a Freedom of Information Act request for Leipold’s new contract but did not receive it in time for publication.
Leipold is now the third-highest paid coach in the MAC, behind Toledo coach Jason Candle and Western Michigan coach Tim Lester.
Buffalo now has Leipold, men’s basketball coach Nate Oats and women’s basketball coach Felisha Leggette-Jack under contract until 2023. Oats makes between $550,000 to $600,000 annually, while Leggette-Jack is the highest-paid UB women’s coach at $240,000.
“Last season’s success was due to building a successful program driven by the commitment, dedication and vision of Coach Leipold and his staff,” athletic director Mark Alnutt said in a press release. “I look forward to our program continuing to follow Coach Leipold's blueprint to be able to achieve sustained success and be highly competitive in the Mid-American Conference. The future is very bright for our program under his leadership and with this stability.”
Nathaniel Mendelson is the senior sports editor and can be reached at nathaniel.mendelson@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @NateMendelson
