Pay raises for two UA assistants

Two University of Arkansas football assistant coaches received pay raises July 1, increasing the cumulative salary for the Razorbacks’ 10 assistant coaches to a program record $4.915 million per year.

Barry Lunney Jr., who is entering his seventh season is Arkansas’ longest-tenured assistant coach, received a pay raise of $15,000 to $365,000 per year, according to records obtained through an open records request. Lunney added special teams coordinator to his title during the offseason. He is also the team’s tight ends coach.

Second-year receivers coach Justin Stepp will be paid $400,000 annually, an increase of $50,000 over last season.

According to Stepp’s contract, he received two pay raises this year — one totaling $30,000 in February and another worth $20,000 this month. Stepp did not add a job title since last year.

Neither Stepp nor Lunney received extensions. Both are under contract through February 2020, consistent with most assistant coaches on staff.

Arkansas’ 10 assistant coaches will be paid $570,000 more in the coming year than they were last season when the Razorbacks finished 2-10 overall and winless in eight Southeastern Conference games. The majority of the cumulative raise is to cover the contract of defensive coordinator John Chavis, who exercised a voluntary two-year contract extension at the end of last season.

Chavis, who was paid $995,000 at Arkansas last season while he was reportedly also receiving a buyout payment from Texas A&M, will be paid $1.5 million in the coming year —$400,000 by the UA and $1.1 million by the Razorback Foundation.