After Big 12 title, WVU locks in Sabins with new six-year deal
West Virginia head baseball coach Steve Sabins has been rewarded for his team’s performance with a new contract extension.
Sabins is fresh off his first season leading the baseball program to a 44-16 record and a regular-season Big 12 Championship. The Mountaineers advanced to the Super Regionals but fell to eventual national champion LSU.
The information was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The contract will run through May 31, 2031, and will pay Sabins $3.675 million over the course of the next six seasons. Each year of the deal includes a base salary of $500,000 and supplemental compensation.
That supplemental total starts at $50,000 in 2026 and increases that amount by $25,000 in each year of the extension, topping the total compensation out at $675,000 during the June 1, 2030-May 31, 2031, season.
Sabins was initially set to make $425,000 in 2026, with that number increasing to $500,000 through the 2029 campaign with the option to extend through 2030 at $525,000.
The buyout in the new contract has West Virginia paying 75 percent of the remaining base salary to Sabins if terminated by convenience, while Sabins would pay 25 percent of the remaining base salary if he terminates.
Sabins signed the deal July 17.
The deal also includes annual performance incentives, including $30,000 for a conference regular season championship, $5,000 for participation in the conference tournament and $30,000 for winning the tournament. The tournament figures are cumulative.
For the NCAA Tournament, there is $25,000 for participation, $10,000 for participating as a host site, $50,000 for a Super Regional, $75,000 for the College World Series and $100,000 for a National Championship. Those totals are cumulative.
For final rankings, top 25 in the ESPN/USA Today or AP Polls is $25,000, while the top 10 in those polls is $50,000, but those figures are not cumulative.
Sabins would receive $25,000 for Conference Coach of the Year and $50,000 for National Coach of the Year (Selected by American Baseball Coaches Association, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball or the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association).
With an APR of 930 or above, as determined by the NCAA, Sabins would receive $4,000.
Finally, with season ticket sales, Sabins would receive $2,000 for 500 season tickets sold, $3,000 for 750, $4,000 for 1,000, and $5,000 for 1,500 but those totals are not cumulative.
| Agreement Year | Base Salary | Supplemental Compensation | Total Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (July 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026) | $500,000 | $50,000 | $550,000 |
| 2027 (June 1, 2026, to May 31, 2027) | $500,000 | $75,000 | $575,000 |
| 2028 (June 1, 2027, to May 31, 2028) | $500,000 | $100,000 | $600,000 |
| 2029 (June 1, 2028, to May 31, 2029) | $500,000 | $125,000 | $625,000 |
| 2030 (June 1, 2029, to May 31, 2030) | $500,000 | $150,000 | $650,000 |
| 2031 (June 1, 2030, to May 31, 2031) | $500,000 | $175,000 | $675,000 |
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