DKW 86 7,426 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2517825 Is this better than CTT? I know it is better than Tressel. New Louisville deal to pay Petrino $25.5M over 10 yearsBy Pat FordeESPN.com The University of Louisville and Bobby Petrino have agreed on a lucrative new 10-year contract, a deal the Cardinals hope will end the now-annual wooing of their football coach. A source familiar with the deal said that Petrino will receive an immediate raise from $1 million a year to $1.6 million, and that his salary will steadily escalate throughout the life of the contract. By 2010 he is slated to earn $2 million, putting him into an elite category of coaches -- believed to be at least 14 currently -- at that plateau. At the deal's end, 2015, Petrino will make $2.6 million. He also will have retention bonuses of $1 million in 2007, 2010 and 2013, and a $2 million retention bonus in 2015. The total value of the contract is $25.5 million. That's staggering money for a program that has only made two January bowl appearances and has a stadium seating capacity of 42,000. With athletic director Tom Jurich's bold move to elevate Petrino among the highest-paid and most secure coaches in the country, Louisville is attempting to cement its future as a major football program. "Tom has made a huge commitment to the program and to Bobby," the source said. The offensive mastermind has a three-year record of 29-8 at Louisville, including the Cardinals' second January bowl game ever this past season, the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech. The Cards enter the 2006 season as a likely top 15 team and sport a pair of possible Heisman Trophy contenders in quarterback Brian Brohm and running back Michael Bush. To keep Louisville's program among the ranked and the relevant, the school needed to pre-empt the powerhouse schools that have courted Petrino -- schools that he has listened to in the past. Significantly, Petrino asked that a $1 million buyout be put into his deal, should he attempt to leave the school. "I think he's pretty serious about being here and staying here," the source said. Petrino was involved in the now-infamous 2003 dalliance with Auburn behind the back of coach Tommy Tuberville, his former boss on The Plains. An apparent deal between the two was undone only when media reports circulated, outing the secret meeting Petrino had with Auburn administration members. In December 2005, Petrino met with LSU administrators before the Cardinals played in the Liberty Bowl, just days after signing a new contract and saying he was not interested in any other jobs. He also interviewed with Notre Dame and had discussions with Mississippi about its vacancy that year. Last season there were reports that Petrino had discussions with the Oakland Raiders. Petrino downplayed those reports, saying he had no interest in the job. The timing of this deal is significant, heading into a season when a number of coaches at powerhouse programs are on the hot seat. There could be several high-profile job openings around the country, and Jurich undoubtedly would like to remove Petrino's name from consideration before it could be entered. The $1 million 2007 loyalty bonus is undoubtedly part of the incentive to ignore pitches from bigger programs after this season. The deal is believed to be similar in design to the reported seven-year, $17 million contract Ohio State's Jim Tressel signed in 2005. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAR-MATT 2 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 I've heard somewhere that Stoops' contract has a clause in it that states he will be the highest paid coach in college football. Basicly if a coach gets a new deal over what Stoops is making OU betters it by a dollar or something like that. If that is the case Stoops is smiling all the way to the bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerOne 1,146 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 wow is right, Louisville would be a good addition to the SEC. That discussion was elsewhere, but they have a quality program no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUTrey 0 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 I've heard somewhere that Stoops' contract has a clause in it that states he will be the highest paid coach in college football. Basicly if a coach gets a new deal over what Stoops is making OU betters it by a dollar or something like that. If that is the case Stoops is smiling all the way to the bank. 247251[/snapback] Close, but if I'm not mistaken, it was Saban with that deal back in 2003. His deal said that if he won the NC, he would be paid $1 dollar more than the highest paid coach in the land. The irony is that he beat Stoops, the then highest paid coach, to win the championship. It is possible that Stoops has a similar deal now, I don't know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PChamp119 96 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 This contract is not better than Auburns. This is a lengthy contract but I don't think it is all that much. Tubs is already making over $2M and Bobby is still at $1.6M with this new contract that only rises 100K a year - Tubs will be making like $3M in a couple years if I remember correctly. Tho his retention bonuses are nice - but I think Tubs still has him beat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigermike 3,034 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 wow is right, Louisville would be a good addition to the SEC.That discussion was elsewhere, but they have a quality program no doubt. 247305[/snapback] Louisville and West Virginia would make two great additions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AURainman 6 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 In College Football, your contract is only as good as your buyout clause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWK 0 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 wow is right, Louisville would be a good addition to the SEC.That discussion was elsewhere, but they have a quality program no doubt. 247305[/snapback] Louisville and West Virginia would make two great additions. 247316[/snapback] Do you realize how solid that would make our conference? It would awesome, but at the same time next to impossible to go undefeated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUloggerhead 2,238 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 If Louisville & WV continue their success, they become the perennial Big Dogs in the Big East and will fight every year for the automatic BCS bowl berth between the 2 of them. Why should they want to move to the SEC where they will have to compete with the likes of UGA, UF, UT, SC in the East or AU, LSU, Arky in the West? Bobby Bowden said it best when FSU moved to the ACC (instead of joining the SEC): "I'd rather be a live coward than a dead hero." The way the stupid BCS is set up is perfect for Louisville & WV right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebody 0 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 No way. We'll find out in a couple of years that a road trip to WV would be like the Arkansas of the mid-Atlantic. That state got its name only because it was so small that "Virginia" fit better than "Bumblef**k" on the map. (Although actually Morgantown is more accessible than most of the state, because of Pittsburgh) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbo 0 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Im happy for Petrino goo d luck too him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncaajunkie 172 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 pay the man, he's in the easiest conference that automatic BCS game thats big money for that school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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