Salary Observations | The Boneyard

Salary Observations

DefenseBB

Snark is always appreciated!
Joined
Nov 10, 2016
Messages
7,862
Reaction Score
28,477
One of the items that has absolutely left me scratching my head is the "overpay" that many schools, particularly the SEC, are doing. Just 3 years ago in 2016-17, MSU was paying Vic $465K per year. Now, they are paying Nikki McCray $750K per year and she has done what exactly? She was making $240K at ODU. Kellie Jolly Harper was making $240-260K at Mizzou State 2 years ago and now they are paying her $750K. Holly was making $665K. Heck, Georgia decided to pay 1st time coach Joni Taylor $750k. Kentucky pays Matthew Mitchell $1.2 Million. This type of overpay is simply insane. It makes not sense as to rhyme or reason. We know the mid-majors cap out at $200-250K for long established and successful coaches in a sport that loses money. We also know that Adia Barnes at Arizona just made $240K this past year and is now scheduled for $400k in 2020-21. While we noted (and lamented) the PAC-12 only pays an average of $487K, this is double the pay of these mid-major programs. Why is the SEC, ACC, Big12 and BigTen overpaying average coaches? Just because you think have money, doesn't mean you need to spend money. The Covid19 situation is now forcing big time schools to furlough their top salaried employees simply because their "savings account" can't keep paying them. This tells me the system is broken if you haven't accrued enough money "for a rainy day" of 3 months, let alone 2 years. This could be a day of reckoning. UConn is not immune to this and even Geno knows it. How much is he worth to the University as the greatest coach of all time? It matters to the revenue he brings in is the simple hard answer. Same goes for Dawn, Vic, Kim and all the others. Can the school really justify the salaries with hard numbers that don't show a budget in the RED. Louisville obviously can't. Neither can Colorado. Frankly, neither can UConn.

The economic model appears to me to be broken. What the heck am I missing that allows these AD's to without logic or reason to overpay for unproven skill sets? Even mighty Texas, overpaid for Vic. Don't give me "ignore his Stephen F Austin results" either, this guy was making $465K three years ago and is now making $2+ million. No logic can explain that to me.

At least with Geno, I see attendance, media, regional television programming and National attention. Kim Mulkey doen't have the attendance, no regional tv, some national attention but she's at $1.885 million. Yikes. Walz is a bargain at his $1.475 million and we know he's overpaid.

Like I said, if this sport was raking in the dough, making money hand over fist, I would understand it. But it isn't and is still a long way away from making money yet the AD's are like drunken sailors on shore leave. Head bang

Rant over...
 

diggerfoot

Humanity Hiker
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
1,529
Reaction Score
8,551
What you observe has been termed "spending cascades" as an economic phenomenon. The cost of expensive "home grown" commodities, such as the housing market, is not determined by median income but by what the top can pay or overpay. The elevated ceiling raises the costs, forming a "spending cascade," of items of lesser value.

Auriemma may or may not be paid strictly according to market value. In either case his unparalleled success means a very high ceiling. If you want programs that can compete at the level of UConn then, in theory, you need to pay their coaches similarly. Thus a "spending cascade" of coaches salaries.
 

DefenseBB

Snark is always appreciated!
Joined
Nov 10, 2016
Messages
7,862
Reaction Score
28,477
I want to hit "Like" as I appreciate the commentary back as completely logical, I just "don't like" that notion!!! The only problem I have is the P4 are skewing the landscape. Maybe if the ADs look at the PAC12 they will realize their debacle, but probably not until the red ink swells to unsustainable amounts or in your metaphoric view "a market crash"...Mostly I am highly irritated at the likes Stephanie White getting ~$800K for a .338 winning percentage and will still get for 2 more years as Vanderbilt is now broke and can't buy her out. Not a good look for the sport.
 

triaddukefan

Tobacco Road Gastronomer
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
19,162
Reaction Score
57,971
“We might make a lot of money but, we also spend a lot of money.”
Patrick Ewing ,SEC, Big 10
 

Online statistics

Members online
536
Guests online
3,795
Total visitors
4,331

Forum statistics

Threads
155,777
Messages
4,031,332
Members
9,864
Latest member
Sad Tiger


Top Bottom