Southern Miss releases details of new AD’s contract

New Southern Miss athletic director Jon Gilbert will receive $350,000 a year over the course of his four-year contract.

USM released the details of his contract on Friday as the former assistant athletic director at Tennessee begins his time in Hattiesburg.

Gilbert’s contract runs from March 1, 2017, until February 28, 2021.

Gilbert had been at Tennessee since 2011 and also had a 16-year stint in the athletic department at Alabama.

If Gilbert terminates his contract without cause in his first 18 months on the job, he will owe the university 75 percent of one of year of his base salary. If he leaves between his 19th and 36th month on the job, he will owe USM 50 percent of his base salary. If he departs in the final six months of his contract, USM will be owed 25 percent of his base salary.

Gilbert has performance-based incentives that includes $25,000 if the football program reaches a bowl game in the New Year’s Six and $50,000 if USM participates in the College Football Playoff.

If the men’s basketball program reaches the NCAA Tournament, Gilbert will receive $10,000.

Gilbert will also receive incentives if the men’s basketball and football programs rank among the best programs in Conference USA and in the nation in Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate.

Other perks of the contract include:

Gilbert will be given one courtesy mobile at annual cost not exceeding $10,000 a year.

He will also receive a membership at either the Hattiesburg Country Club or Canebrake country Club.

Gilbert will receive up to $15,000 reimbursement for moving expenses.

Former USM athletic director Bill McGillis, who is now at the University of San Diego, also made $350,000 a year, according to the Hattiesburg American.

USM staff members leave: It was also announced Friday that two members of the Southern Miss athletic department are leaving for Troy.

USM senior associate AD for external affairs Brent Jones will take a similar position at Troy.

Kyle George leaves the USM athletic department to serve as Troy’s associate athletic director for marketing and sales.

Jones and George will work under Troy athletic director Jeremy McClain, who worked previously as an associate athletic director at USM.

This story was originally published March 3, 2017 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Southern Miss releases details of new AD’s contract."