ESPN: Examining Big Ten assistant coach salaries (Minnesota: $2.1 million)

BleedGopher

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Here is what Big Ten teams spent on their staffs in 2012, not including the head coach (Note: Because Northwestern and Penn State are not subject to the same state open-records laws as other schools, their information was not available):

Ohio State: $3.29 million
Michigan: $2.93 million
Illinois: $2.3 million
Michigan State $2.2 million
Nebraska: $2.15 million
Iowa: $2.1 million
Minnesota: $2.1 million
Indiana: $2 million
Wisconsin $1.77 million
Purdue: $1.61 million

Finally, here's a look at the top-paid coordinators in the Big Ten among the 10 schools whose information was available via public records:

Luke Fickell, co-defensive coordinator, Ohio State: $761,000
Greg Mattison, defensive coordinator, Michigan: $758,900
Al Borges, offensive coordinator, Michigan: $658,300
Pat Narduzzi, defensive coordinator, Michigan State: $501,700
Tom Herman, offensive coordinator, Ohio State: $456,000
Everett Withers, co-defensive coordinator, Ohio State: $456,000
Tim Banks, defensive coordinator, Illinois: $400,000
Chris Beatty, co-offensive coordinator, Illinois: $400,000
Billy Gonzales, co-offensive coordinator, Illinois: $400,000
Tim Beck, offensive coordinator, Nebraska: $372,300
Tracy Claeys, defensive coordinator, Minnesota: $340,000
Matt Limegrover, offensive coordinator, Minnesota: $335,000
Greg Davis, offensive coordinator, Iowa: $325,000
Dan Roushar, offensive coordinator, Michigan State: $307,00
Mike Ekeler, co-defensive coordinator, Indiana: $306,600
Doug Mallory, co-defensive coordinator, Indiana: $306,600
Phil Parker, defensive coordinator, Iowa: $301,500
John Papuchis, defensive coordinator, Nebraska: $300,000
Gary Nord, offensive coordinator, Purdue: $275,000
Tim Tibesar, defensive coordinator, Purdue: $250,000
Chris Ash, defensive coordinator, Wisconsin: $267,050
Matt Canada, offensive coordinator, Wisconsin: $265,000
Seth Littrell, offensive coordinator, Indiana: $255,500

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/68246/examining-big-ten-assistant-coach-salaries

Go Gophers!!
 

It looks like we are same bracket as everyone except, Ohio State and Michigan on the high side, and Wisconsin and Purdue on the low side.
 

Just for kicks, here are the SEC staff figures from last year, not including the head coach (Vandy unavailable):

LSU: $4.1 million
Alabama: $4.0 million
Auburn: $3.8 million
Tennessee: $3.0 million
Florida: $2.9 million
Georgia: $2.9 million
Texas A&M: $2.7 million
Arkansas: $2.6 million
South Carolina: $2.5 million
Missouri: $2.4 million
Kentucky: $2.2 million
Ole Miss: $2.2 million
Mississippi St: $2.2 million

Average SEC staff salaries (excluding HC, among those reported): $2.9m
Average B1G staff salaries (excluding HC, among those reported): $2.3m

Only three B1G teams with figures - Ohio State, Michigan and Illinois - spend more than Mississippi State, the last-place SEC team in assistant spend, on assistants. One of the big reasons why that conference is at the top and continues to attract the very top coaching talent.
 


I have said for years that the talent discrepancies were more coach related than player related.

Head coach’s aside; the SEC get's the best coords and position coaches because they pay more.
 


In general Big Ten schools have a lot more sports to pay for than SEC schools do. For instance, Arkansas has 17 sports. Auburn has 16. Alabama has 16.

Minnesota has 23.
 

I think the Gophers coordinators salaries are a bit high considering their resume's. I believe they are being paid similar to what guys like Withers, Roof, Dunbar, and Fisch made under Brewster. It's a good sign that the University is willing to continue to pay these salaries, but I a do question who negotiates these contracts.
 

The real question is, how much of that $2.2 million at Mississippi State is allocated towards The Brew Man?! The most high profile WR's Coach in the NCAA! Haha. :)
 

I think the Gophers coordinators salaries are a bit high considering their resume's. I believe they are being paid similar to what guys like Withers, Roof, Dunbar, and Fisch made under Brewster. It's a good sign that the University is willing to continue to pay these salaries, but I a do question who negotiates these contracts.

I thought I read something that Kill said he takes a smaller salary in order to get his assistance paid more. I could also just be completely making that up too. For some reason, I just recall reading that somewhere. The STrib at some point maybe?
 



I think the Gophers coordinators salaries are a bit high considering their resume's. I believe they are being paid similar to what guys like Withers, Roof, Dunbar, and Fisch made under Brewster. It's a good sign that the University is willing to continue to pay these salaries, but I a do question who negotiates these contracts.
3 of the 4 you mentioned left in a year or two to take a better job; Minnesota was never anything more than a stopgap or a bridge to something better for any of them.

We're not paying our coordinators that much now because their resumes demand it; we're paying them that much because at some point you have to act like you're a serious football program.
 

By the way, i saw that former Gopher WR coach George McDonald is joining Bielema at Arkansas.
 

I thought I read something that Kill said he takes a smaller salary in order to get his assistance paid more. I could also just be completely making that up too. For some reason, I just recall reading that somewhere. The STrib at some point maybe?

That sounds correct, I know went to Maturi and offered to take less to get the assistants he wanted. Both Kill/Brewster have been at/near the bottom of the B1G Ten head coaching salary which makes sense given their resumes.

I agree with GopherProf's thoughts below as well...(though Withers to UNC and Fisch to Seattle as a QB coach are not definitively better jobs)
 

Seeing these figures makes me want to be the assistant outside linebackers coach at LSU. I think I'm ready for the gig.
 






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