Chris Hart is set to take over as NC State's head baseball coach. Here's how much he'll make

AUBURN, Ala. — NC State didn’t look far to find a replacement for longtime coach Elliott Avent, who will retire following the conclusion of the Wolfpack’s NCAA Tournament run by tabbing associate head coach Chris Hart as the next-man up.

Hart signed a five-year contract worth $500,000 in total pay per season shortly before his hire was publicly announced May 22, according to an open records request by TheWolfpacker.com. His contract will begin July 1 and runs through the 2031 season.

In addition to his annual pay, Hart is eligible to make up to $180,000 in performance bonuses and another $75,000 in academic-related incentives.

Hart would be due $10,000 in the event the Wolfpack were to win the ACC regular season title, while a conference tournament crown would pay a $20,000 bonus. Being named the league coach of the year would net Hart $10,000, while a national coach of the year award is an additional $20,000.

In the event NC State were to make the NCAA Tournament, Hart would be paid a non-cumulative bonus depending on the deepest round the Wolfpack makes it to: regional ($10,000), super regional ($20,000), College World Series ($40,000), NCAA runner-up ($75,000) and NCAA champion ($100,000).

Additionally, a top-25 final ranking in either the Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today or Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) would net Hart a $10,000 bonus. A top-10 finish in any of those polls would up the reward to $20,000.

In the event Hart were to be fired with time remaining on his contract, he would be owed $300,000 mutliplied by the remaining number of seasons left on the deal with a duty to mitigate clause. If Hart were to be hired by another program under his current contract, is buyout would be $150,000 multiplied by the remaining number of seasons left on his agreement.

Hart, who has served as Avent’s right-hand man for the past 22 years, will make the same annual pay as his current boss. He’s been an integral part of the Wolfpack coaching staff and the success the team has had since his arrival in 2005 — an 804-463 record with 17 NCAA Tournament bids, five Super Regional appearances and three trips to the Men’s College World Series in Omaha — as he has led the program’s offense and recruiting efforts for more than a decade.

For athletic director Boo Corrigan, it was an easy decision to promote Hart to lead the program moving forward.

“As I’ve watched Chris over the years, I’ve been more and more impressed with him in many ways,” Corrigan said. “He’s a nationally-recognized recruiter, has a wealth of baseball knowledge and is a great representative of our program. He loves NC State and has chosen to stay, despite numerous opportunities to leave. We could go out and search nationally for our new head coach, but I’m so glad that we didn’t have to because the best man for the job was right here.”

But before Hart rises to the top of the Wolfpack program, NC State still has a chance to make another run to Omaha. Up first? Battling UCF on Friday night (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2) to begin its stint at the Auburn Regional.