Chris Pollard’s UVA Baseball Contract: Salary and Key Terms Revealed

Virginia Athletics

Weeks after Pollard was officially named the head coach of Virginia baseball, we now have the official contract numbers for the new Cavalier skipper. Pollard's hire came ten days after the departure of Brian O'Connor, who left for Mississippi State. Chris Madia of the Daily Progress first reported the news via X on Tuesday. 

Here are the details of new #UVa baseball coach Chris Pollard's contract, learned by The Daily Progress through a FOIA request.

It's a seven-year deal through June 2032. His annual total compensation is $1.2 million and he has an assistant coaching salary pool of $750K.

— Greg Madia (@GregMadia) June 24, 2025

Pollard is set to receive an annual total compensation of $1.2 million through June of 2032 at Virginia compared to his $800,000 yearly salary at Duke since 2023. In further contrast, O'Connor's salary at Mississippi State was reported to be $2.8 million annually, the second-highest salary for a head coach in collegiate baseball. 

For the full details on O'Connor's Salary: Brian O'Connor's Contract Terms With Mississippi State Baseball Unveiled

In addition to his salary, it was also released that Pollard would be allowed to distribute $750,000 annually to his assistant coaches. This money will be given to Recruiting Coordinator and Infielders Coach Derek Simmons, Pitching Coach Brady Kirkpatrick, Recruiting Coordinator and Hitting Coach Eric Tyler, Director of Recruiting Brian Sakowski, and Director of Player Development John Natoli. 

Early into his tenure, Pollard has already made waves in the transfer portal, creating hype that Virginia could return to the College World Series in 2026 after missing the postseason entirely in 2025. 

Two big names to look out for are AJ Gracia and Eric Becker. 

Beginning with Gracia, who transfers from Duke and is rated the eighth-best prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft. He recorded 15 home runs, 63 hits, 57 runs, and 54 RBIs last season in Durham. On3 rated him as the no. 1 player to commit via the transfer portal this offseason. 

The New Jersey native will provide Pollard's roster with a centerpiece capable of delivering when his team needs it most. In the Athens Regional Final, Gracia delivered a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that inspired a come-from-behind 3-2 victory for the Blue Devils against Oklahoma State. In the Super Regional, Gracia kicked off the second game with a home run to ignite a Duke offense that scored nine runs in a 19-9 loss. 

For More on AJ Gracia: Virginia Baseball Player Profile: Duke Transfer AJ Gracia

Moving to Eric Becker, who recently announced that he would return to Charlottesville despite O'Connor's departure, is a massive win for Pollard. Becker was a stud for the Hoos in 2025, recording 21 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, and 52 RBIs while leading the team in batting average (.368), slugging percentage (.617), runs scored (54), RBI's and doubles. 

After two weeks in Charlottesville, Pollard has quickly assembled a dynamic duo in his lineup that gives him a concrete base to build his team around for the 2026 season. 

After qualifying for a Super Regional for the fourth time this year and failing to make it to the College World Series, Pollard will look to flip the script in Charlottesville in his new orange and blue threads as he inherits a program with the resources and talent to make the 1,186 mile trip to Omaha, Nebraska next season.