Alabama athletics director gets raise and extension

Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne got a raise on Monday when the UA board of trustees compensation committee approved his extension into 2031. Byrne will make $1.56 million in the first year of the contract, and will receive raises every year, up to $2.3 million in the final year.

Byrne was the first new contract on an agenda loaded with new athletics deals. New Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff were also on the list, along with basketball coach Nate Oats.

“Greg’s done an incredible job of leading our athletics program since his arrival, and certainly during this time of great changes in our athletics world,” UA president Stuart Bell told the committee before the unanimous vote to approve.

The AD was mentioned recently as a potential candidate for the same job at Texas A&M, where his father, Bill Byrne, held the position from 2003-2012. He quickly poured cold water on that speculation, announcing he will remain in Tuscaloosa.

Under the new deal, he’ll owe Alabama $5 million if he leaves on or before June 30, 2027. For two years after that, the number would be $3 million, after which point it drops to $1 million for the remainder of the deal.

That buyout is waived if Byrne accepts a job as commissioner of a “Power 4″ conference.

Byrne came to Alabama in 2017. The new deal is his fifth contract update since taking over control of the Crimson Tide program.

Under the terms of his previous contract, signed in 2022 and set to run through 2029, Byrne was to start out making $1.49 million in base salary and end with $1.91 million.

All told with bonuses, Byrne made $2.042 million in 2023, $1.943 million in 2022 $1.882 million in 2021 $1.843 million in 2020 and $1.658 million in 2019.

Byrne recently made the biggest hire of his career. When Nick Saban retired, Byrne brought in DeBoer from Washington.