College basketball has two coaches earning more than $7M in the same season for the "first time since USA Today Sports began tracking coaches compensation," as Louisville's Rick Pitino and Kentucky's John Calipari each topped $7.4M, according to Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY. The annual survey of the 68 NCAA Tournament teams showed Calipari is making more than $7.1M in basic compensation, Pitino nearly $5.1M. Both also "reported having had significant income from outside sources that was related to their employment by the schools." Pitino’s non-university amount included $2.25M that he "received under a personal-services contract with Adidas." Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has been credited with more than $7M three times in recent years on the private school's federal tax records, but those filings "involve a separate way of reporting compensation figures" (USA TODAY, 3/30). Berkowitz noted Pitino's outside income for '15 is "nearly $800,000 more than any public-school football or men's basketball coach" since USA TODAY began tracking those coaches' compensation in '06 (USATODAY.com, 3/29).
|
RK
|
SCHOOL
|
COACH
|
SCHOOL PAY
|
OTHER PAY
|
TOTAL
|
MAX BONUS
|
|
1
|
Louisville
|
Rick Pitino
|
$5,057,000
|
$2,712,200
|
$7,769,200
|
$750,000
|
|
2
|
Kentucky
|
John Calipari
|
$7,140,000
|
$295,376
|
$7,435,376
|
$50,000
|
|
3
|
Duke
|
Mike Krzyzewski
|
$5,550,475
|
n/a
|
$5,550,475
|
n/a
|
|
4
|
Kansas
|
Bill Self
|
$4,752,626
|
$180,000
|
$4,932,626
|
$525,000
|
|
5
|
Michigan State
|
Tom Izzo
|
$3,582,751
|
$669,000
|
$4,251,751
|
$350,000
|
|
6
|
West Virginia
|
Bob Huggins
|
$3,575,000
|
$15,000
|
$3,590,000
|
$690,000
|
|
7
|
Michigan
|
John Beilein
|
$3,370,000
|
n/a
|
$3,370,000
|
$250,000
|
|
8
|
Wichita State
|
Gregg Marshall
|
$3,000,000
|
$35,500
|
$3,035,500
|
$838,000
|
|
9
|
Baylor
|
Scott Drew
|
$2,813,811
|
$5,000
|
$2,818,811
|
n/a
|
|
10
|
Virginia Tech
|
Buzz Williams
|
$2,600,000
|
$55,000
|
$2,655,000
|
$290,000
|
|
11
|
Oregon
|
Dana Altman
|
$2,650,000
|
$1,000
|
$2,651,000
|
$575,000
|
|
12
|
UCLA
|
Steve Alford
|
$2,640,000
|
$4,000
|
$2,644,000
|
$270,000
|
|
13
|
Arizona
|
Sean Miller
|
$2,200,000
|
$410,000
|
$2,610,000
|
$1,260,000
|
|
14
|
Maryland
|
Mark Turgeon
|
$2,573,054
|
$4,000
|
$2,577,054
|
$445,000
|
|
15
|
Villanova
|
Jay Wright
|
$2,540,958
|
n/a
|
$2,540,958
|
n/a
|
FAMILY MATTERS: USA TODAY's Berkowitz wrote Oregon men’s basketball coach Dana Altman "may be surrounded by family and friends at this weekend’s NCAA Final Four in Glendale, Ariz.," and the Oregon athletics department "may end up paying the bill." Altman's contract says, “upon presentation of proper receipts,” Altman can get up to $25,000 a year in reimbursements for “travel expenses incurred by him to visit friends or relatives, travel expenses incurred by him to have relatives or friends visit, or travel expenses incurred by him to have friends or relatives attend University athletic events.” His immediate family had been "covered by a separate part of his deal, under which the university agrees to pay for his wife and dependent children to travel within the continental United States to postseason games" (USATODAY.com, 3/29).
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME: USA TODAY's Wolken, Berkowitz & Schnaars write under the header, "Why Virginia Tech Has Bet Big On Coach Buzz Williams." Though hiring Williams would "require Virginia Tech to significantly expand its financial commitment" to basketball, the expense "seems to be paying off." Williams’ initial salary of $2.3M was more than a 250% increase over his predecessor James Johnson "while the school was still paying the buyouts of Johnson and former coach Seth Greenberg." Virginia Tech "finished last in the ACC in Williams' first season, but by his third the Hokies earned just their third NCAA tournament bid" since '86. The team’s 22-11 record "validated" AD Whit Babcock’s decision to "pursue an expensive hire in basketball at a school whose athletic success, financial strength and branding has long been tied to football." Demand for basketball has "increased to the point" where VT has "installed premium courtside seating." Additionally, the team had "more visibility on national television, with eight games on ESPN or ESPN2" (USA TODAY, 3/30).
