UA paying price for success

[JohnDeere 0]

Am I reading this right......So UAT has the largest budget of assistant coaches' salaries? LSU might pull ahead with bonuses for the MNC?

Arkansas Democrat Gazette

UA paying price for success

BY TOM MURPHY

Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008

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FAYETTEVILLE — Bobby Petrino’s first set of on-the-field assistant coaches at the University of Arkansas will earn a combined $ 1. 9 million this year, a jump of $ 145, 000 from the combined earnings of Coach Houston Nutt’s final staff in 2007.

The increase in staff salary of 8. 3 percent from 2007 reflects Arkansas’ commitment to compete with the largest football staff budgets in the SEC, according to Athletic Director Jeff Long.

“To attract quality coaches, you have to be able to step up and play ball in that market, and we did,” Long said. “I’m pleased that we had the resources available to us to do that.” Petrino said he “felt very good” about the salary pool he had available to put together his initial staff.

“I think Jeff Long and the chancellor [John White ] have done a great job of seeing we are competitive with the other schools in the SEC,” Petrino said. “That’s why we were able to get some of the coaches that we did.” In the SEC, Petrino’s 2008 salary of $ 2. 85 million will trail only the $ 3. 75 million earned by Alabama Coach Nick Saban and the $ 3. 25 to be paid to Florida’s Urban Meyer. But LSU Coach Les Miles’ victory in the BCS national championship game will trigger a raise and bonuses that likely will vault him ahead of Petrino’s pay in 2008.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette obtained the salary figures for Arkansas assistant coaches Wednesday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The salaries reflect total compensation and do not break down the amounts paid by the University of Arkansas athletic department and the Razorback Foundation, the university’s athletic fund-raising arm. Some assistant coaches’ salaries are typically split between the two entities.

The combined salaries of Arkansas’ nine assistants is less than the $ 2. 245 million shelled out to Saban’s first staff at Alabama in 2007, but the $ 1. 9 million would have ranked third in the SEC last season.

“We want to be higher than the top three or four in the SEC in competition, so that’s the area we needed to get into to attract this quality staff,” Long said. “You ask an AD, is he excited about the pool. No, I wish it wasn’t as big, but I understand and know we have to be in that kind of range to attract quality coaches.” As a comparison, based on figures obtained by the Columbus (Ga. ) Ledger-Enquirer, LSU’s 2007 staff earned a combined $ 1. 928 million, Auburn’s earned $ 1. 868 million and Arkansas’ staff ranked fourth in the league at $ 1. 755 million last season. Arkansas’ figure does not include the salary of running backs coach Danny Nutt, who stepped down in July because of health conditions and was replaced by Tim Horton.

The highest-paid member of Arkansas’ new staff is defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, who has agreed to a three-year deal worth $ 350, 000 per season, the same salary that went to defensive coordinator Reggie Herring last year. Johnson’s salary reflects a 75 percent increase from his total pay of $ 200, 000 last year as defensive coordinator at Mississippi State.

Paul Petrino, the offensive coordinator and the head coach’s brother, will make $ 300, 000 per year on a three-year agreement, also the same salary earned by last year’s coordinator, David Lee.

Johnson and Paul Petrino are the only assistants with three-year agreements. The other seven onthe-field assistants have two-year deals. New head strength and conditioning coach Jason Veltkamp, whose pay is $ 145, 000 per year, also received a three-year agreement.

Arkansas’ two holdover coaches from the Nutt staff, Horton and Bobby Allen, will receive a bump in pay on their two-year agreements. Allen’s salary was $ 145, 000 last season and will be $ 190, 000 in 2008. His job title has changed from cornerbacks coach to defensive tackles coach.

Horton’s pay will rise from $ 165, 000 to $ 185, 000, and his responsibilities have been expanded. He handled the running backs last season, and his new duties will be running backs, tight ends and recruiting coordinator New defensive backs coach Lorenzo Ward will earn $ 190, 000 this season, and new quarterbacks coach Garrick McGee will earn $ 185, 000 per year.

Former Razorback Kirk Botkin, who will coach defensive ends and serve as special teams coordinator, will make $ 165, 000 per year, and linebackers coach Reggie Johnson will receive $ 110, 000 per year.

[Ashandarei 0]

Yeah, it's only 300k, so it looks possible.