New Iowa volleyball coach Jim Barnes’ contract has higher pay, longer duration than predecessor’s

IOWA CITY — New Iowa volleyball head coach Jim Barnes will be making more than his predecessor.

Barnes will earn a base salary of $210,000, according to his contract obtained by The Gazette through a public records request. That increases to $225,000 in the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Former head coach Vicki Brown, who was the only Black head coach on campus, had a base salary of $185,000 in her five-year contract with longevity pay incentives ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 for each year she was still head coach starting in 2020.

Barnes’ seven-year contract includes similar longevity raises starting in 2024. Both head coaches signed contracts with academic and athletic incentives. The academic incentives mirror each other, but Barnes’ on-court incentives start at seven Big Ten wins in a season instead of 10 and are worth less than Brown’s incentives.

The pay difference is reflective of Brown and Barnes’ different levels of experience as a head coach. Brown had one year of experience as a college head coach, compared to Barnes’ 24 years of experience.

Brown was fired on Nov. 4 in her third season leading the Hawkeyes.

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