FAYETTEVILLE — An amendment to the contract of Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads has been finalized, according to documents obtained Friday through an open records request.
Rhoads, who was promoted from a position coach in January, doubled his annual salary from $350,000 to $700,000, and is employed through June 30, 2018. The contract includes a no-compete clause that prohibits Rhoads from leaving the Razorbacks for any job within the SEC, unless it is a head coaching position - standard language for all Arkansas assistants.
Rhoads signed the contract amendment on July 26, the day before the Razorbacks began their preseason camp. It was signed by University of Arkansas system president Donald Bobbitt on Wednesday.
It is not known what caused the long delay between Rhoads' promotion and the signing of a new contract. The UA Board of Trustees approved his new salary in May.
Rhoads' salary is $150,000 less than his predecessor, Robb Smith, was set to make this season, but that might have to do with a longterm buyout Rhoads is receiving from Iowa State, where he was head coach from 2009 until he was fired in 2015.
According to the Des Moines Register, Rhoads' contract at Iowa State includes a $750,000 annual buyout through 2021.