Georgia Baseball coach Wes Johnson agreed to a contract extension last week, and it’s one that comes with increased compensation too. After starting off in Athens making $700,000 annually, Johnson’s pay is increased to $1,000,000 starting July 1, 2024 according to an open records request obtained by DawgsHQ.
Based on a May report by Aria Gerson of The Tennessean, nine SEC head coaches made over $1 million this past season. Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin (estimated $1.9 million with bonus and benefits from 2022 tax records) came in as the highest paid – which makes sense considering Vanderbilt’s status as a private institution – while he was joined by Kevin O’Sullivan (Florida – $1.755 million), Jay Johnson (LSU – $1.65 million), Mike Bianco (Ole Miss – $1.625 million), Tony Vitello (Tennessee – $1.5 million), Jim Schlossnagle (Texas A&M – $1.46 million), Dave Van Horn (Arkansas – $1.4 million), Chris Lemonis (Mississippi State – $1.3 million) and Butch Thompson (Auburn – $1.275 million). All nine of those have made a College World Series appearance at current school including Corbin, Johnson, Biano, Lemonis and now Vitello who have National Championships to show for.
More details of the contract are expected to be released at a further date. Johnson’s original contract spanned six years through the 2029 season. It already paid him $45,000 more than Georgia’s previous head coach Scott Stricklin. Now set to be coaching the Bulldogs through 2030, Johnson’s agreement adds one year to his expected time in Athens.
The Bulldogs went 43-17 overall with a 17-13 mark in the SEC, establishing new school records for most overall wins and most SEC wins by a first-year baseball coach. Johnson also became the first Georgia baseball coach to host and win an NCAA Regional in his first season on the job as his squad took down Army, UNC-Wilmington and Georgia Tech to advance to the Super Regionals. It marked UGA’s first time out of the regionals since 2008, and the Bulldogs fell just one game shy of a trip to the College World Series in Omaha.
It wasn’t just team success that Georgia fans were able to witness in 2024. Individually, Charlie Condon put together one of the greatest seasons in college baseball history as he became the first player in program history to win the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy. Condon led the nation in batting average (.433) and slugging percentage (1.009), all while setting a new NCAA mark for single-season home runs in the BBCOR era with 37. He is widely projected as an early selection in the 2024 MLB Draft and is in consideration to go in the top overall spot.
“This past season is one we will always remember,” Georgia director of athletics Josh Brooks shared in a statement. “It is a testament to the tremendous work that Coach Johnson and his staff did — and continue to do — in developing our student-athletes both on and off the field. Today is another great day for our program as we look to the future and watch Georgia baseball continue to excel under his leadership.”
“I’d like to thank Josh Brooks, President Jere Morehead, and all our fans for their commitment to Georgia Baseball,” said Johnson. “We’ve received tremendous support, and if you drive by Foley Field right now, you can see the $45 million renovation currently underway that will enhance our program and help lead us to more success in the future.”
Johnson’s name had been mentioned as a potential candidate for the opening at Texas, and the subsequent void at Texas A&M after Jim Schlossnagle’s departure. The increased compensation of his new agreement likely comes in an effort not only to keep him from entertaining the Lone Star State offers but also to try and keep momentum going in the right direction for the future at Georgia.
Johnson and company have already added several pieces to next year’s roster by way of high school recruiting and the transfer portal and reportedly came to an agreement with Kentucky assistant Nick Ammirati to leave Lexington and fill the void on Georgia’s staff after the return of Josh Simpson to LSU.
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