Through public record request, The Daily Hoosier obtained copies of the fully executed contract between Indiana and quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Chandler Whitmer, as well as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Bryant Haines’ new contract from earlier in February.
Haines agreed to a three-year contract, ending in Jan. 2028. His base salary is $450,000 per year, along with outside, marketing, and promotion income that raises each year: $1.55 million for the 2025 season, $1.65 million for the 2026 season, and $1.75 million for 2027. Haines also gets a biannual $75,000 retention bonus, paid on Jan. 31 and July 31 each year of the term.
Haines’ non-cumulative bonus structure is as follows.
- $45,000 bonus for a bowl appearance
- $54,000 bonus for a nine-win season, including the Big Ten championship game and any bowl games
- $67,500 for a 10-win season
- $90,000 for an 11-win season
- $150,000 if IU finishes in the top six in the Big Ten in fewest points per game allowed or fewest yards per game allowed
- $90,000 for a Big Ten championship game appearance
- $112,500 for a Big Ten championship game win
- $135,000 for a College Football Playoff appearance
- $157,500 for a College Football Playoff first-round win
- $180,000 for a College Football Playoff quarterfinal win
- $202,500 for a College Football Playoff semifinal win and a berth in the CFP National Championship game
- $225,000 for a CFP National Championship game win
Should Haines leave IU for any other coaching job before Dec. 8, 2025, he would owe the university $2 million.
From that date through April 16, 2026, Haines would owe IU around $800,000 if he left for another Big Ten job, and he’d owe around $600,000 if he left for a non-Big Ten job. For the next year, the 2026 season and offseason, those figures would drop to around $600,000 for a Big Ten job and around $400,000 for a non-Big Ten job. And for the final year, the 2027 season and offseason, the buyout for a non-Big Ten job would go down to $300,000.
If IU fires Haines without cause, the university would owe him the remainder of his total salary owed for the rest of the contract.
A step up
Haines will make $2 million next season in total. Per USA Today, only nine assistants across college football reached that mark last season.
This contract also presents a marginal salary increase from the deal he signed back in December, when IU gave all its assistants new contracts. Under that contract, Haines was set to make $1.8 million in 2025, $1.9 million in 2026, and $2 million in 2027. He’s now at $2 million in 2025, $2.1 million in 2026, and $2.2 million in 2027.
Haines’ bonus structure remains the same as it was under the previous contract.
Similar for Whitmer
Whitmer received a two-year contract, like most of the rest of IU’s staff got earlier in the offseason. He’ll make $400,000 per year in base salary, along with $350,000 per year in outside, marketing, and promotion income. Whitmer also receives a $50,000 retention bonus if he remains in the same position on Feb. 15, 2026, and again on Feb. 16, 2027 if his contract is renewed.
His non-cumulative bonus structure is as follows.
- $40,000 bonus for a bowl appearance
- $48,000 bonus for a nine-win season, including the Big Ten championship game and any bowl games
- $60,000 for a 10-win season
- $80,000 for an 11-win season
- $80,000 for a Big Ten championship game appearance
- $100,000 for a Big Ten championship game win
- $120,000 for a College Football Playoff appearance
- $140,000 for a College Football Playoff first-round win
- $160,000 for a College Football Playoff quarterfinal win
- $180,000 for a College Football Playoff semifinal win and a berth in the CFP National Championship game
- $200,000 for a CFP National Championship game win
Whitmer would owe IU $375,000 if he left for any other coaching position before April 15, 2025.
From April 15 to the same date in 2026, the buyout drops to $300,000 if he left for another Big Ten program, and $225,000 for a non-Big Ten job. From April 16, 2026 through the end of the 2027 season, Whitmer would owe $225,000 if he left for a Big Ten job, and $150,000 for a non-Big Ten job. However, he wouldn’t owe any buyout if he leaves IU for an NFL assistant coach position or a play-calling coordinator position in college football.
If IU fired Whitmer without cause, the university would owe him the remainder of his total salary owed.
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