When Mark Fox made the move from Georgetown to Kentucky, the Wildcats initially locked the associate coach in for just the 2024-25 season on a deal worth $200,000. Now, he’s back for another year in Lexington — with a nice pay bump for his continued efforts on Mark Pope‘s staff.

The University of Kentucky officially released contract details for the 56-year-old coach, his previous deal amended on March 31 and effective April 1 through June 30, 2026, now worth $500,000.

Fox signed off on the prorated deal on August 7 while Mitch Barnhart put pen to paper on August 8.

“Coach shall perform such duties as may be assigned in connection with the supervision and administration of the men’s basketball program, and such other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the University of Kentucky Athletics Department,” the contract reads. “Coach shall work under the immediate supervision of the head coach of the men’s basketball program and shall confer with this supervisor on all matters requiring administrative and technical decisions.”

Should Fox leave Kentucky for another coaching position on June 30, 2026 or prior to that date, he will pay the University liquidated damages in the sum of $50,000. Previous contract details remain active, including his postseason bonuses that include:

  • $20,000 for NCAA Sweet Sixteen
  • $30,000 for NCAA Elite Eight
  • $50,000 for NCAA Final Four
  • $100,000 for NCAA National Championship
  • $30,000 for SEC Regular Season Championship
  • $20,000 for SEC Tournament Championship

Coaching duties include performing “faithfully and conscientiously the duties assigned by the Head Coach, the Director of Athletics, and the President of the University” and “to maintain the high moral and ethical standards commonly expected of Coach as a leading representative of the UKAD.”

Fox previously served as the Director of Student-Athlete Relations and NIL Partnerships at Georgetown in 2023-24. Before that, he was a head coach at Nevada, Georgia and California, picking up 324 career wins with four regular-season conference titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances.

“I can’t believe that I get to work with Mark Fox,” Pope said at the time of Fox’s initial addition. “Our relationship began at the University of Washington when I was a freshman and ever since then he has been an incredible mentor to me over the years. He even hired me for my first job. He is one of the most intelligent and most detailed-oriented coaches in all of college basketball. Mark has coached NBA draft picks. He’s coached teams in the NCAA Tournament. He’s recruited the best players in the country, and he’s dealt with every changing dynamic in college basketball over the last 25 years. Coach Fox is going to be a lynchpin in all that we do at the University of Kentucky.”

“This opportunity is extra special because, not only do I get to work at one of the most traditional basketball powers in the country, but I also get to work with a former player and a former staff member who is like family to me,” Fox added.

Now, the man who gave Pope his first job in coaching at Georgia in 2009 will run it back at Kentucky for at least one more season.