The coaches of the 68 teams that participated in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament "will make $1.4 million on average this season," according to an analysis cited by Jodi Upton of USA TODAY. Among the 33 coaches whose salary has been tracked the last two seasons, the average pay "was up 11% to $1.7 million, not including bonuses averaging up to $390,000." Louisville coach Rick Pitino was the top earner with more than $7.5M in compensation this season, "dwarfing the $85,000 of Northern Colorado's B.J. Hill." Pitino's pay was "boosted by a $3.6 million bonus for completing three years of his contract," and if he "holds out another three years, he'll get another $3.6 million bonus in 2013." Kentucky coach John Calipari is the top earner among Final Four coaches, as he will earn $3.9M this year, "with an additional $650,000 in tournament bonus money available." VCU coach Shaka Smart by contrast "will make $424,000, with about $257,000 in possible tournament bonuses" (USA TODAY, 3/31). The following lists tournament coaches whose compensation is over $2M this season.
| SCHOOL | COACH | UNIV.
PAY | OTHER
PAY | TOTAL PAY | MAX BONUS |
| Louisville | Rick Pitnino | $6,100,000 | $1,431,378 | $7,531,378 | $575,000 |
| Duke | Mike Krzyzewski | $4,195,519 | NA | $4,195,519 | NA |
| Kentucky | John Calipari | $3,800,000 | $117,000 | $3,917,000 | $850,000 |
| Kansas | Bill Self | $3,375,656 | $240,000 | $3,615,656 | $425,000 |
| Florida | Billy Donovan | $3,575,400 | $0 | $3,575,400 | $487,583 |
| Michigan State | Tom Izzo | $3,090,000 | $475,000 | $3,565,000 | $350,000 |
| Ohio State | Thad Matta | $2,542,000 | $107,000 | $2,649,000 | $320,000 |
| Arizona | Sean Miller | $1,950,000 | $355,805 | $2,305,805 | $985,000 |
| Connecticut | Jim Calhoun | $2,300,000 | NA | $2,300,000 | $102,083 |
| Texas | Rick Barnes | $2,200,000 | $0 | $2,200,000 | $765,000 |
| UCLA | Ben Howland | $2,010,000 | NA | $2,010,000 | $235,000 |
PAYS TO GRADUATE: Upton notes Calipari receives a bonus of "up to $100,000 if 75% of his players graduate," and his "academic bonus is among the highest in Division I men's basketball." Twenty-three of the 41 public schools in the tournament that provided contract information "offer such academic bonuses," ranging from $3,000 for Utah State coach Stew Morrill to $175,000 for Pitino. But Upton notes "dangling incentives to make sure a coach gets athletes through school is controversial." A "significant bonus might keep a coach's focus on academics," but Upton wonders, "Should coaches be paid more for a fundamental part of their job?"
(USA TODAY, 3/31).
