Memphis coach Silverfield agrees to 5-year deal

Memphis football coach Ryan Silverfield has agreed to a new five-year contract with the school through the 2028 season that will pay him an average of $2.45 million annually.

Silverfield is coming off his best season at Memphis, which went 10-3 last fall and won the Liberty Bowl. The 43-year-old, who took over for Mike Norvell before the 2019 Cotton Bowl, is 31-19 in four-plus seasons with the Tigers. He previously had served as Memphis’ offensive line coach under Norvell.

“Coach Silverfield guided the team to one of the best seasons in program history in 2023 and we believe he’s laid the foundation to help Memphis ascend even higher in the expanded College Football Playoff era,” athletic director Laird Veatch said in a statement.

Silverfield, who earned $1.9 million in 2023, received a raise to $2.2 million for the 2024 season. His salary will increase to $2.7 million by the final year of the term. Before Memphis, Silverfield spent time with the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, as well as Arizona State and Toledo.

His 31 wins mark the second-most for a Memphis coach in the first four years, behind Norvell’s 38. Memphis returns quarterback Seth Henigan and is pegged to be one of the top teams in the AAC.