Tennessee didn't wait long to reward head coach Josh Heupel following a 2022 season that exceeded expectations.

The university announced Tuesday it has signed Heupel to an extension through January 2029 that will pay him $9 million annually.

Athletic director Danny White provided a statement on the deal:

"The results over Josh's first two seasons speak for themselves. He and his staff have energized both our football program and our fanbase with an aggressive brand of football, a competitive culture that creates leaders and a relentless approach to raising the bar every single day. Despite a brief period of dormancy, Tennessee never surrendered its status as a college football powerhouse. We just needed an innovative leader like Josh Heupel to reignite the spark. It's been fun to crash the party, but as Josh said after our Orange Bowl triumph, the best is yet to come."

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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