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Cuonzo Martin to receive a $50,000 bump in salary

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Martin instructs his team as they take on the Ole Miss Rebels during the SEC men's NCAA basketball tournament in New Orleans

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Cuonzo Martin instructs his team as they take on the Ole Miss Rebels during the second round of the SEC men’s NCAA basketball tournament in New Orleans, Louisiana March 9, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

REUTERS

When Cuonzo Martin accepted the head coaching job at the University of Tennessee in 2011, he was inked to a five year contract worth $1.3 million per year. As announced by Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart, Martin’s salary will be increased $50,000 heading into the 2013-14 season.

Hart explained that the bump is attributed to two reasons:

The first is that Cuonzo led our program to top-five finishes in the SEC in his first two years, which is impressive. The other thing is that, personally, I appreciate the leadership that he has provided at the University of Tennessee and in guiding those young men.

According to GoVolsXtra.com, the breakdown of Martin’s salary is as follows: “The extra $50,000 will be split evenly among his base salary, which rises to $350,000, and his broadcasting payout, now $450,000. The remainder of Martin’s salary stems from apparel ($325,000) and endorsements ($225,000).”

$1.35 million is hardly chump change, but Martin’s revamped salary still ranks in the bottom half of the SEC when compared to his counterparts’ salaries.

Martin, who has done a stellar job stabilizing the Tennessee program following the antics Bruce Pearl pulled -- remember that BBQ incident? -- explained that, regardless of what he is compensated, he will always work hard at his craft: “Regardless of what I’m making and that sort of thing, I’m always going to do my job to the best of my ability. It was a great gesture, but I don’t get caught up in perception or anything on the outside. I’m here to do a job.”

Tennessee is coming off a 20-13 season that saw them just miss out on the NCAA Tournament. Martin brings back many of his top players -- save for Trae Golden who recently transferred to Georgia Tech -- along with Memphis transfer Antonio Barton. The Volunteers will most likely be a fringe Top 25 team to begin the 2013-14 season.

You can find Kevin on twitter @KLDoyle11