At both the Univ. of North Carolina and N.C. State, the state’s only two public institutions in the ACC, the "growth in coaching compensation is outpacing even the considerable growth in revenue, which continues to push athletic department budgets at major conference schools to record levels," according to Andrew Carter of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. UNC last month reported a record $104.6M in athletic department revenue during FY '18. NCSU meanwhile, reported $88M. However, while revenue continues to increase, so do costs, with "rising coaching compensation leading athletic department expenses at both schools." Five years ago, at the end of FY '13-14, head coaches in 15 sports at UNC and NCSU received more than $150,000 in annual compensation, including salary, benefits and bonuses. By the end of the most recent full fiscal year, head coaches of 32 teams at both schools made more than $150,000 annually in full compensation. At UNC, coaching compensation increased by 39.1% in the past five years. At NCSU, it grew by 28%. At both schools, athletic department revenue has grown by approximately 25% during the past five years. Expenses during that span "have soared" due to coaching compensation. UNC AD Bubba Cunningham said that increasing coaching salaries "has been among his priorities in recent years." Over the past five years football coaching compensation, for both head coaches and their staffs, increased 45% at NCSU and UNC. At UNC, head coaches in four sports -- women’s lacrosse, women’s tennis, field hockey and wrestling -- "more than doubled their compensation in the past five years" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/7).
