Coaches are "among the major beneficiaries as schools bet on football and play musical chairs with conference affiliations," according to Brady, Schnaars & Berkowitz of USA TODAY. The average compensation package for major-college coaches is $1.81M, "a rise of about $170,000, or 10%, since last season -- and more than 90%" since '06. At this rate, coaches' compensation "would more than double in less than a decade." A Delta Cost Project report states that the rapid rise "comes at a time when instructional spending at many schools is not increasing at the same pace as spending on athletics." Lucrative TV deals for power conferences have "unleashed a new era of massive spending on football." Alabama coach Nick Saban is "the nation's highest-paid coach," making more than $5.5M, and every football coach at a public SEC school "makes more than" $2M (USA TODAY, 11/7).
| SCHOOL |
NAME |
SCHOOL PAY
|
OTHER PAY
|
TOTAL PAY
|
MAXIMUM BONUS
|
| Alabama |
Nick Saban |
$5,395,852
|
$150,000
|
$5,545,852
|
$700,000
|
| Texas |
Mack Brown |
$5,392,500
|
$61,250
|
$5,453,750
|
$850,000
|
| Arkansas |
Bret Bielema |
$5,158,863
|
N/A
|
$5,158,863
|
$700,000
|
| Tennessee |
Butch Jones |
$4,860,000
|
$0
|
$4,860,000
|
$1,000,000
|
| Ohio State |
Urban Meyer |
$4,608,000
|
$0
|
$4,608,000
|
$550,000
|
| LSU |
Les Miles |
$4,300,000
|
$159,363
|
$4,459,363
|
$700,000
|
| Michigan |
Brady Hoke |
$4,154,000
|
$0
|
$4,154,000
|
$550,000
|
| Iowa |
Kirk Ferentz |
$3,985,000
|
$0
|
$3,985,000
|
$1,750,000
|
| Louisville |
Charlie Strong |
$3,700,000
|
$38,500
|
$3,738,500
|
$808,333
|
| Oklahoma State |
Mike Gundy |
$3,450,000
|
N/A
|
$3,450,000
|
$550,000
|
| South Carolina |
Steve Spurrier |
$3,300,000
|
$22,500
|
$3,322,500
|
$1,550,000
|
| Georgia |
Mark Richt |
$3,200,000
|
$114,000
|
$3,314,000
|
$1,000,000
|
| Penn State |
Bill O'Brien |
$3,282,779
|
N/A
|
$3,282,779
|
$200,000
|
| Cincinnati |
Tommy Tuberville |
$3,143,000
|
$0
|
$3,143,000
|
$465,000
|
| TCU |
Gary Patterson |
$3,120,760
|
N/A
|
$3,120,760
|
N/A
|
| Texas A&M |
Kevin Sumlin |
$3,100,000
|
$300
|
$3,100,300
|
$750,000
|
| Nebraska |
Bo Pelini |
$2,975,000
|
N/A
|
$2,975,000
|
$1,000,000
|
| Kansas State |
Bill Snyder |
$2,800,000
|
$3,000
|
$2,803,000
|
$580,000
|
| Missouri |
Gary Pinkel |
$2,800,000
|
$200
|
$2,800,200
|
$850,000
|
| Florida State |
Jimbo Fisher |
$2,750,000
|
$0
|
$2,750,000
|
$675,000
|
| Florida |
Will Muschamp |
$2,724,500
|
$10,000
|
$2,734,500
|
$454,000
|
| Mississippi State |
Dan Mullen |
$2,700,000
|
$0
|
$2,700,000
|
$650,000
|
WINNING THE NAME GAME: USA TODAY's Steve Berkowitz writes football coaches are "arriving at increasingly creative ways to define and protect their rights and financial interests." Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has a deal under the school's licensing program "to sell merchandise bearing his name." Swinney's agent Mike Brown has "opened talks" with Clemson AD Dan Radakovich "about adding a separate licensing agreement to Swinney's contract." Brown said, "When he was the interim coach, people started manufacturing T-shirts and things like that so ... I made the decision, 'We're going to trademark that name and protect it.'" Berkowitz notes Swinney's personal deal is "operated under the umbrella of Clemson's agreement" with Collegiate Licensing Co. IMG College VP/Strategic Communications Andrew Giangola said that the deal is "the only one CLC has on behalf of an active coach." Elsewhere, Ohio State is "in the process of trademarking" coach Urban Meyer's name and the phrase "Urban Meyer Knows." Kansas State has a "detailed licensing agreement to use the name and likeness" of coach Bill Snyder. Washington coach Steve Sarkisian "negotiated the right to approve all uses of his name, voice, signature or likeness." Boise State coach Chris Petersen's license deal states that if the school "wants to make a product incorporating his name, image or likeness, a sample must be provided to Petersen for his approval." The school is "barred from selling the product if it's 'reasonably disapproved' by Petersen" (
USA TODAY, 11/7).
