News of salary cuts among athletics staffs has rolled in over the last week as the threat of program cuts and longterm financial hardship looms over college sports. Absent among many announcements was confirmation that schools’ highest-paid coaches would share in the cuts, but some schools have now shared that their top personnel will indeed be included in plans to mitigate the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to implementing pay cuts and furloughs, a number of Division I conferences had requested that the NCAA drop its minimum sport requirement. That proposal was rejected, providing momentary relief for the future of Olympic sports programs.
Perhaps most prominently, University of Kansas head men’s basketball coach Bill Self, head football coach Les Miles, and athletic director Jeff Long will take 10% pay cuts for the next six months, totaling about $500,000 in savings, the university announced. Similarly, Louisville head men’s basketball coach Chris Mack will give up 10% of his $4 million contract, and head football coach Scott Satterfield will do the same to his $3.25 million contract.
Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck, who was set to make $4.5 million this year, and head men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino will be among the roughly 200 university employees taking voluntary one-weeks furloughs.
Wake Forest head football coach Dave Clawson is taking a 10% pay cut, but the university fired head basketball coach Danny Manning, who is reportedly owed a $15 million buyout.
Washington State athletic director Pat Chun, head football coach Nick Rolovich and head men’s basketball coach Kyle Smith will all take voluntary 5% pay cuts through the end of the 2020-21 academic year.
Last week, we reported that all Boise State employees making over $40,000 a year will take furloughs of varying lengths — up to 10 days for those making 150,000 or more, like its head football and basketball coaches.
Though the schools don’t have swim programs, the highest-paid coaches at Syracuse and Oregon State will also be taking pay cuts. Syracuse head basketball coach Jim Boeheim and head football coach Dino Babers will take 10% pay cuts, while Oregon State football coach Jonathan Smith and men’s basketball coach Wayne Tinkle are donating 7% of their salaries back to the athletic department.
I know they’re doing a good thing but I find it hard to be impressed by someone giving 10% of the their 4million+ salary
Or taking a weeks furlough, which accounts to about 2%
Woooow must be really feeling that, only making 3.5 million, while others have no income at all right now.
They could definitely be doing more to help their programs/athletic departments/schools etc
I agree with STOPITSWIMMING, these guys can’t catch break. As you said, they did a good thing…leave it at that. Maybe the departments were looking at furloughs for all employees or cuts for all and these guys stepped up to make sure that didn’t happen. How do we know they aren’t doing more? They may also giving donations in other ways etc. I know salaries there are a lot, but a lot of swim programs maybe wouldn’t be there or at the levels they are at some places without football/basketball. If you want to be competitive and bring in the donations, you have to pay market value. Don’t fault those guys for it. It may be out of control but… Read more »
While you may not agree with how much they are paid, that is not for you to decide. They have earned those jobs, with those salaries, because they are good at what they do. They have chosen to give up money that they were told they were going to get. So every cent that they give is truly by choice and the goodness of their hart. So YOU can get off your high horse and be gracious that these people are trying to help the situation. Our sport, a nonrevenue sport, could avoid being cut by these schools with the extra hundreds of thousands of dollars that the school will have by football and basketball coaches giving up their own… Read more »
What should they do? Would it please the critics if they made $100k this year or is that too much?
Did the top 3 highest paid football coaches take any pay hike?? Alabama, Clemson, Michigan.
Those athletic departments have so much money (and booster money) I doubt there is reason to take such dramatic measures. As always, the rich get richer
Furl-O-M-G.
I sure hope they survive, not sure what I’d do if mine dipped under 3 million
Great comment! These guys all did something good for their departments that they didn’t have to do, let’s be sure to give them s*** for it.
What is it about this sport that we always have to be fighting people? Even when they do good things?
Swimming has a Napoleon complex
When’s the last time a crowd of 80,000 people attended a swim meet every weekend?
Excellent give back plan!