Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn has agreed to a new seven-year deal worth $49M "that will keep him" with the school, according to sources cited by Chris Low of ESPN.com. Malzahn will make more than $7M in the "final year of the deal." Arkansas had approached Malzahn with a "lucrative offer" (ESPN.com, 12/3). In Alabama, Josh Vitale notes Malzahn over the weekend was "pressed on the rumors and reports coming out of Arkansas throughout this past weekend." He "offered no comment in his press conference previewing the SEC Championship game on Friday." Asked again during a teleconference yesterday previewing the Peach Bowl, Malzahn "repeated numerous times that he was 'planning' to be the head coach at Auburn" in '18, but "would not outright say that he would be." Minutes after the call concluded, news "broke that Malzahn had agreed to the new deal" (OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS, 12/4).
BIG HIRE FOR AGGIES: In Texas, Travis Brown notes the "Jimbo Fisher era in Texas A&M football began shortly after noon" yesterday when the school's new coach landed in College Station. Fisher's contract was officially approved this morning prior to formally being introduced during a press conference. School officials said that Fisher will make $7.5M per year on a 10-year guaranteed contract (Bryan-College Station EAGLE, 12/4). In Houston, Brent Zwerneman notes Fisher's A&M contract is the "richest deal in college football in terms of total value." He will be the "second-highest paid coach in the FBS," behind Nick Saban at Alabama, who "agreed to an eight-year contract extension in May that will pay him" $65M over the life of the deal. Former A&M coach Kevin Sumlin made $5M and received a $10.4M payout with two years left on his deal (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/4). In Austin, Kirk Bohls wrote A&M "hit a home run" by landing Fisher. The "magnitude of this hire can’t be overstated" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 12/2).
HOME SWEET HOME: In Lincoln, Parker Gabriel notes Nebraska hired Scott Frost as its new football coach with a seven-year, $35M contract. Nebraska AD Bill Moos also "confirmed that 10 assistant coaches and the program’s head strength and conditioning coach will be paid from a pool" of $5M for '18. Nebraska leadership said that it was "prepared to invest in a top-flight football staff and operation," and it is "clear the school is ponying up money to do just that." Nebraska's nine assistant coaches this past season made a combined $3.7M (LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR, 12/4). Frost said that he "appreciated the 'long runway' NU was providing with the length of the contract but said it wasn’t why he made the decision to come to Nebraska," with whom he won a national title in '97. He said he picked Nebraska because it is “home.” Frost also "made a direct, repeated call for unity, to stitch together the torn threads of a once-elite program that used to win conference and national titles." In Omaha, Sam McKewon notes so many "wanted to attend" Frost's introductory presser that some "had to move to a balcony overlooking" Memorial Stadium (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 12/4).
SALARY BUMP: In Oklahoma City, Scott Wright noted Oklahoma State's Board of Regents "approved an addendum" to football coach Mike Gundy’s contract that will increase his salary to $5M for the '18 season three days after Gundy’s "flirtations with Tennessee about its head coaching vacancy." Gundy made $4.2M in '17 and was "scheduled to receive an increase of $125,000" in January '18, and "every year going forward" (OKLAHOMAN, 12/2).
