Financial ramifications - firing Brewster/hiring replacement

[TCF=UnitedWeStand]

What is Brewster's current salary - $1mil? $1.2mil? His assistants are probably paid in the middle to the bottom of the Big Ten. There have been a ton of articles in the past few weeks about football's budget - middle of the Big Ten or worse.

So, what type of committment will the school/boosters make to hiring a replacement? To get the kind of person it seems we all want - experienced, proven winner, well-regarded as a coach, respected, etc, etc. - it would seem to me that it would take at least $1.5 mil-$2 mil, right (if we're really going to get serious about this)?

In addition, such a candidate that would have all of these qualifications is going to want to bring his staff, and such a staff isn't going to come cheap.

So, it seems to me that, again, if we're going to get serious about this and make the right hire, the school is probably going to have to come up with about a 40-50% increase in the budget for football. This will be tough to do when we have a baseball team trying to build a stadium, a basketball coach wanting a practice facility, a hockey coach that is in a make-or-break season (may require a new hire at the end of the season as well, and that won't come cheap), etc, etc.

My question is, where is all of this money going to come from? Personally, and unfortunately, I just don't think the U of M is going to make the committment necessary to get who we all want. We are going to be looking to hire a current coordinator somewhere at another school, or dare I say, an NFL position coach.

It's not to say a winner can't come out of such a drawing pool, but hearing folks throw out all of these names (Temple's coach, Mariucci, Edsell, even Calhoun) makes me think we are going to be in for a big reality check when it all is said and done - i.e., we're not getting any of these guys.

 

[spermophilus]

There Are Financial Ramifications For Standing Pat

What is Brewster's current salary - $1mil? $1.2mil? His assistants are probably paid in the middle to the bottom of the Big Ten. There have been a ton of articles in the past few weeks about football's budget - middle of the Big Ten or worse.

So, what type of committment will the school/boosters make to hiring a replacement? To get the kind of person it seems we all want - experienced, proven winner, well-regarded as a coach, respected, etc, etc. - it would seem to me that it would take at least $1.5 mil-$2 mil, right (if we're really going to get serious about this)?

In addition, such a candidate that would have all of these qualifications is going to want to bring his staff, and such a staff isn't going to come cheap.

So, it seems to me that, again, if we're going to get serious about this and make the right hire, the school is probably going to have to come up with about a 40-50% increase in the budget for football. This will be tough to do when we have a baseball team trying to build a stadium, a basketball coach wanting a practice facility, a hockey coach that is in a make-or-break season (may require a new hire at the end of the season as well, and that won't come cheap), etc, etc.

My question is, where is all of this money going to come from? Personally, and unfortunately, I just don't think the U of M is going to make the committment necessary to get who we all want. We are going to be looking to hire a current coordinator somewhere at another school, or dare I say, an NFL position coach.

It's not to say a winner can't come out of such a drawing pool, but hearing folks throw out all of these names (Temple's coach, Mariucci, Edsell, even Calhoun) makes me think we are going to be in for a big reality check when it all is said and done - i.e., we're not getting any of these guys.

Current/future donations will decline to a trickle, or dry up, if no changes are made.

If a true (dare I say) "kill shot" hire comes to pass, here is a formula for part/most of it: 7 games x 40,000 tickets (excluding the 'students') x $5 more per game = $1.4 million.

You're wrong about getting a marquee coach. It will likely take a new AD, however.

 

[TCF=UnitedWeStand]

Current/future donations will decline to a trickle, or dry up, if no changes are made.

If a true (dare I say) "kill shot" hire comes to pass, here is a formula for part/most of it: 7 games x 40,000 tickets (excluding the 'students') x $5 more per game = $1.4 million.

You're wrong about getting a marquee coach. It will likely take a new AD, however.

I'm wrong in thinking we won't hire a marquee coach? I hope I am, but will believe it when I see it!

 

[minngg]

No coach with other BCS offer will come here. The only way we get a coach over another program is throw huge money at them. This job is a coach killer.

 

[grunkiejr]

Hockey coaches do come relatively cheap compared to other revenue generating sports. Lucia, who is one of the highest paid hockey coaches, is paid a base salary of $250,000. If we fire Lucia and hire a new coach I see no reason to think we are going to pay more than Lucia is making. There aren't a whole lot of programs that can pay like we already are.

Second, your estimate of a 40%-50% increase in the football budget to hire a better staff is ludicrous. I think the numbers that everybody quotes about our $9 million football budget is crap because it misses a lot of (A) gameday expenses that didn't exist when we were at the Metrodome and (B) overhead & support staff allocated to the athletic dept instead of the football team. However, lets use that $9 million anyway to illustrate what you can buy for an incremental $4.5 million. In 2009 between Brewster and the assistant coaches the U paid $2.4 million (Source). Adding $4.5 million (50% increase in the football budget) to that puts us at $6.9 million. Comparatively Ohio State paid $5.7 million and Texas paid $5.9 million for their entire coaching staffs in 2009.

Al Golden (from Temple) is making $500,000, Calhoun is making $776,500, and Randy Edsall is making $1.45 and the total UConn staff makes $2.7 (we would need to increase the budget for salaries). Our athletic dept makes enough money that we could afford to give any of these coaches a pay raise from what they are currently making. Minnesota ranked #29 in athletic dept revenue in 2008 (the most recent year that is available) and we've improved upon that with the opening of TCF Bank Stadium and the success of the Big Ten Network.

 

[minngg]

We do not have to pay them more than they are making now. We have to pay them more than other programs will pay them because if the money is roughly the same, they aren't going to pick this job.

 

[TCF=UnitedWeStand]

Hockey coaches do come relatively cheap compared to other revenue generating sports. Lucia, who is one of the highest paid hockey coaches, is paid a base salary of $250,000. If we fire Lucia and hire a new coach I see no reason to think we are going to pay more than Lucia is making. There aren't a whole lot of programs that can pay like we already are.

Second, your estimate of a 40%-50% increase in the football budget to hire a better staff is ludicrous.

I think the numbers that everybody quotes about our $9 million football budget is crap because it misses a lot of (A) gameday expenses that didn't exist when we were at the Metrodome and (B) overhead & support staff allocated to the athletic dept instead of the football team. However, lets use that $9 million anyway to illustrate what you can buy for an incremental $4.5 million. In 2009 between Brewster and the assistant coaches the U paid $2.4 million (Source). Adding $4.5 million to that puts us at $6.9 million. Comparatively Ohio State paid $5.7 million and Texas paid $5.9 million for their entire coaching staffs in 2009.


Al Golden (from Temple) is making $500,000, Calhoun is making $776,500, and Randy Edsall is making $1.45 and the total UConn staff makes $2.7 (we would need to increase the budget for salaries). Our athletic dept makes enough money that we could afford to give any of these coaches a pay raise from what they are currently making. Minnesota ranked #29 in athletic dept revenue in 2008 (the most recent year that is available) and we've improved upon that with the opening of TCF Bank Stadium and the success of the Big Ten Network.[/QUOTE]

And there aren't a whole lot of programs that would require hiring the top coaching options in the country - you don't hire just anybody for one of the top three jobs in the country; you go get the best head coach in the country that you can get, as they did when Lucia was the hot ticket. You think they wouldn't have to pay more than $250K for Dean Blais? I'll take that bet.

Should have clarified - a 40%-50% increase in salaries, which I still think is legit and far from "ludicrous" (see comments below), but we can agree to disagree.

If Minnesota were the only job to come open after this year, and we were the only team competing for these guys, then yes. But something tells me we aren't going to be the only job open, and the same guys we want are going to be wanted by these other programs (Georgia? Colorado? who knows...) And Edsell isn't going to move to MN(!) anyway, but he certainly isn't for a lateral move in salary (as you state, the UMN would have to increase our budget by 300K just to match); to go to MN of all places, I would think it would take 2mil per AT LEAST, plus another 1.5 mil for his staff/assistants, and that's assuming some of them stay at UCONN (one of the Coordinators hired as HC).

Assuming Brewster is fired, I think MN is a good job, and whoever comes on board will be in a better spot to win sooner than when both Mason and Brewster was hired. And maybe we will get the "kill shot" so many people on here think we will. I just don't know if the folks that matter will be willing to pay for it. IM NOT SAYING IT ISN'T A WORTHY JOB, but any "kill-shot" hire is going to have all of the leverage in the world.

And Calhoun is a solid coach, but if he is considered a "kill-shot", then expectations aren't nearly as high as they seem to me to be.

 

[mnboiler]

I think the bottom line is you make the right hire they are going be in the black, and if they mess it up you could see a lot of red ink everywhere.

Not to mention that while the U is a long term make or break hire in the football coach, they are also searching for a new President and have a lame duck AD. And the AD also has to deal with maintaining the greatest brand in college hockey which is slipping, keeping a NC winning basketball coach from leaving every off season, and building a new baseball field that has been promised for the better part of decade.

So the athletic department is a little busy right now.

 

[vagopher]

We do not have to pay them more than they are making now. We have to pay them more than other programs will pay them because if the money is roughly the same, they aren't going to pick this job.

Why? You might be right as to some coaches, maybe many, but I am certain that there are at least some high profile coaches who would find the Minnesota job attractive. MSP is a very attractive area, Minnesota is a good school, we have good facilities, and we are the only BCS school in Minnesota and the Dakotas. I just spent the evening watching Jim Laurinaitis destroy the Washington Redskins on defense, and there are many other high quality football players from the region. I also believe that we have some good young players already in the program. We have won six national championships before, and I see no reason why we can't do it again.

But if money is in fact an issue, I believe there are solutions, such as one poster's suggestion that ticket prices be increased, I would also be willing to increase my annual donation to the athletic department if it would commit to hiring a quality replacement for Brewster. I would hope that others would be willing to do the same.

Initially I was very skeptical of the Brewster hire. An NFL position coach without experience as even an offensive coordinator didn't make much sense to me. I warmed to Brewster, however, and believed he should be given a chance to succeed. I liked, and still like, his efforts to sell the future success of the program, which I think should be encouraged, not criticized. I liked, and still like, his efforts to develop rapport with Minnesota high school coaches. I think at least his first couple of recruiting classes were a step up from prior years. And I had hoped that he would quickly acquire the coaching skills needed to rebuild our program successfully. Unfortunately, I've seen very little progress with respect to the latter.

I am 70 years old. Our last national championship occurred while I was a junior at the University (1960-1961) and our last Rose Bowl trip occurred when I was a senior (1961-1962). I have been waiting since that time for a repeat of that kind of success, and at my age, I can't afford to wait much longer.

What concerns me with respect to a possible coaching change, is the risk that we will have to start the rebuilding progress over again. I think we need to pursue aggressively a Tubby Smith-like hire to give us instant credibility and to assure recruits that this is going to happen. I don't think we can afford to do this on the cheap. I think as a fan base we need to demand excellence, and demonstrate to the University's administration that we are prepared to support them in this.

 

[MN Gopher Fan]

We could always sell booze at the stadium...haha

 

[grunkiejr]

Minnesota definitely has the money to pay on par with approximately the median of the Big Ten. Even before we opened the stadium our athletic dept ranked 29th overall and 7th in the conference (8th with the addition of Nebraska). The stadium has increased our revenues and also put pressure on the department to maximize the revenue from the building. We should have learned with Tubby's hiring that if you have to you pay more money for a coach and staff it is the right move because it fills seats and increases donations which in the end pays for the incremental expense. If sellouts were a given I'd be less afraid of the department going cheap but without a good coach and W's we won't sell out TCF Bank Stadium and the AD & President know that.

As far as Lucia, between his base salary and extra income from camps and public appearances he is the highest paid compensated coach in the WCHA and it wouldn't surprise me if that makes him the highest paid coach in the country. Why do you think we need to pay a new coach more than the current highest paid coach to attract him to Minnesota? NCAA hockey coaches just don't make that much money compared to other sports because there isn't the same demand for coaching talent. A big part of that comes back to very few programs make money in hockey like the Gophers do. UND and Wisconsin are the only comparables in the WCHA and maybe Michigan or MSU in the CCHA (pretty sure both have much smaller arenas and likely less revenue) and Boston College out East. We're competing with 5 other programs for the best coach and none of them are likely to be hiring this offseason. Even if we do pay the next coach more money, a 100% increase over Lucia (which would be way more than necessary) is still a small time expense compared to what we're paying in football or basketball.

 

[GoAUpher]

We currently pay just over 2.4 million for the whole staff. 1 million to Brew and a little over 1.4 to the assistants. Here is how things break down for some of the names that have been bantered about (all numbers are last season's and come from USA Today:
Randy Edsell - UConn
UConn currently spends approx 2.7 million. 1.45 million to Edsell and just under 1.25 million for the assistants.

Troy Calhoun - Air Force
Total payroll is approx 2.5 million. Just over 760K to Calhoun with about 1.7 million to the assistants.

Mark Richt - Georgia
Total payroll is just over 5 million. Just over 3 million to Richt and just over 2 million to the assistants.

Kevin Sumlin - Houston
Total payroll is approx 1.75 million. Approx 750K to Sumlin and about 1 million to the assistants.

Mike Leach - The TV Booth (numbers are for his staff at TTech before getting fired)
Total payroll was approx 2.7 million. About 2.7 million for Leach and 2 million for the assistants.

Ken Niumatalolo - Navy
Total payroll just over 1 million. Approx 460K to Niumatalolo and just over 600K to the assistants.

Any way you cut it, to get an established coach who is coming from a BCS job or who has already been discussed for BCS jobs, the U will need to be prepared to up the payscale.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

This where having too small a stadium comes into play; a new, winning coach might fill a 65,000 seat stadium every week or most weeks, as Holtz did. That gives you 15,000 X $50/ticket or so - enough extra revenue to pay the coaching salaries. At 50,000, we're already at the max - so more priority seating perhaps? Or higher prices?

 

[GopherGack]

I wondered what the premiere schools payed for their coaching staffs. So here is seemingly what it takes to get the creme de la creme.

School Coaching Budget($Mil)

Oklahoma-------6.8
Alabama--------6.6
LSU------------6.45
Florida----------6
Texas----------6
OSU------------5.7
Georgia---------5.1
Iowa-----------4.8
FSU------------4.8
Michigan-------4.4
Virginia Tech----4.1
Georgia Tech----4
Wisconsin-------3
Minnesota-------2.4

As you can see we would essentially have to double or triple our current coaching budget to put up the kind of money seemingly necessary to go out and get a truly big time coach. To me this pretty quickly rules out any of the big names you hear tossed around.