Toledo Rockets head coach Jason Candle is a Rocket through and through. Promoted to head coach in 2015 before the Boca Raton Bowl, Candle has since amassed winning seasons six of the last seven years and has his team sitting atop the MAC West once again.

Still, he doesn’t get enough credit, and most casual college football fans know little about the eighth-year head coach. Here’s Jason Candle’s salary, contract, and net worth.

Jason Candle Salary and Contract in 2023

Candle came to Toledo as a tight ends coach in 2009 after leading DIII power Mount Union’s offense in the late 2000s. From there, he quickly worked his way up the coaching ladder until being given control of the team on an interim basis in 2015. It didn’t take long for the administration to take off that tag and make his head coaching title official.

Since then, he’s claimed two conference titles without a losing season on his record, amassing a winning percentage of nearly 65%.

After winning the MAC title in 2022, Candle signed an extension in January to stay at Toledo through at least 2026.

Ironically, Candle’s new base salary is slightly lower than the $1.2 million per year he signed after his first conference title win in 2017, but the incentives are reportedly higher, per SBNation’s Hustle Belt blog.

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Candle has win-based incentives that could help him bring in substantially more than his new base salary of $1.1 million.

Per Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade, the bulk of Candle’s incentives revolves around regular-season wins. He’ll get $75,000 for six wins, $135,000 for seven wins, $265,000 for eight wins, and $325,000 for nine or more wins.

This is significant given that Candle has eclipsed six wins in all but the coronavirus-impacted year, and has reached nine wins three times in six full years. He’s already reached the 6-win mark in 2023.

Additionally, Candle can receive bonuses of $15,000 and $30,000 for reaching and winning the conference title game. Similarly, he would receive $20,000 for reaching and $30,000 for winning a bowl game.

All told, if Toledo replicates last season, Candle will make over $1.5 million this season, which still feels like a steal for the Rockets.

Candle’s Net Worth

Candle’s net worth is reportedly around $5 million, according to a few outlets. Since 2017, his base salary has been over $1 million and he’s received multiple incentive-based bonuses over the last few years.

Candle was the highest-paid coach in the MAC in 2022. Still, it’s hard to imagine that he won’t see his salary rise in 2024 if he replicates last season’s success.

If Candle were to leave for a Power Five school, which is not out of the realm of possibilities, he could see that number tick up. His buyout to the school is less than $1 million, and he could be one of the more popular names in the coaching carousel in 2024.