USA Today Reports on new Geno Contract

[Fairfield Fan]

No, they hate Geno too much and clearly the AD doesn't care about Women's basketball anymore.

I dunno. Women's basketball is really big in The South. Baylor, Texas, Duke, Florida State, North Carolina (before the scandal)...Not sure why the conservative South would value women's sports so much, but they seem to. There must be bucks in it.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

The funny thing is 13m isn't even his true market value. If Geno were suddenly declare himself a free agent I think over 20m wouldn't out of the question.

I would be willing to bet that the net profit to a university of a top women's program is pretty good. Low investment (just a dozen or so scholarships, which are mostly a non-cash item), a handful of coaches (compared with the small army of coaches, ass't coaches, strength coaches, etc. that accompanies every football program), and revenues from filling the house a few times a year, ESPN contracts, league TV, and the rest.

Just guessing.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

He is the best coach is the history of the game (men's or womens's)

I would definitely say "one of the best coaches in the history of the game, men's or women's." John Wooden and Mike Krzyzewski, etc. come to mind in men's basketball. Phil Jackson comes to mind for the NBA. Not sure anyone in the WNBA is at that level yet, though Cheryl Reeve is turning Minnesota into a dynasty.

 

[dwalks93]

I wonder what the real numbers are for revenues brought in for women's as opposed to men's basketball at UConn. Wonder whether the UConn women aren't far more profitable than the men. We know that UConn football is a massive financial black hole, causing some $24 million in subsidies from the university, which, if memory serves is the highest in the country?

Wonder no more...here are the actual numbers in the below link

The financial impact of championship basketball

The above article is worth reading but here is a key paragraph..."Data that UConn submitted to the U.S. Department of Education shows that for the 2014-2015 academic year, the school incurred $6.7 million in expenses for its women's basketball team while earning $4 million in revenue. For the same period, UConn's men's basketball team, which has won the national title four times since 1999, cost UConn $8.6 million while it earned $9.6 million in revenue. Expenses for the school's lower-profile football team were $14.2 million, which overshadowed its $8.3 million in revenue."

 

[Artifact]

QUOTE="bags27, post: 2047928, member: 6761"]$13M for a basketball coach??? Does this amount also include the paid salaries of the two basketball assistants ?

 

[cordarone]

The question is not what a coach does with the players he inherits from his predecessor, but what he does with the players he actually recruits. Time after time, a coach does fine in his/her first, second, or even third year, then sees a distinct fall-off from then on, as the players he/she has recruited and trained turn out to be sub-par compared with the departed coach's performance.

I missed the goalpost- moving. My point is that Ollie's salary isn't out of line in the men's game, similar to what Cream, Huggins and Smart make. At the time his contract was renegotiated he may have 'lucked out' on Napier's coattails (again, debatable), but losing him by low balling his salary wasn't an option.
OTOH, the Diaco contract

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The portion of the new contract described below makes for interesting conjecture. Do the parties see a role for Geno in furthering the program after he steps down?

"Auriemma’s new contract had several other enhancements, including an increase in the amount of money Auriemma would be paid annually if, upon resigning or retiring in good standing after the 2020-21 season, he chooses to accept a job with Connecticut’s athletics department. Continuing a feature from his previous contract, Auriemma would be able to choose an appointment of up to five years at $400,000 per year (up from $300,000 per year) or a $1 million payment that he would get within 90 days of his resignation or retirement."

A few years ago he said that when he goes he goes and you won't see him. Maybe he wants the option of essentially operating as a consultant to his successor?

 

[VAMike23]

Who would pay him that much?

The Sixers....?

jk

 

[Jimbo]

Fwiw, Geno understands why Kevin Ollie's salary is higher, even if some people here don't.

"On the women's side, there isn't the same kind of revenue," Auriemma says. "We aren't getting a part of the CBS contract that March Madness brings. We're at a different level. I don't ever use that Title IX crap about how I should get paid what Kevin gets paid because we do the same job. I've never bought into that or believed that for one moment since I started coaching."

Geno Auriemma OK with pay less than men's counterpart

 

[Husky pride]

Who would pay him that much?

If you read the Tennessee forum, they're imploring their school to throw at him whatever it takes. Doesn't mean that'd do it...but for some, with deep pockets, the winning notoriety might seem worth it!

 

[BroadwayVa]

$13M for a basketball coach??? I wouldn't pay him a penny over $12.9M....

Seriously, I do think things have got way, way out of hand, but, given that Geno didn't start this and that whatever you pay him won't affect the craziness one iota, he's worth it all...and a lot, lot more.

There are so many ways the total University could used that money, productively--
Also, i am a believer that --if they offer you --take it. Geno doesn't need the money--at this point the money only shows--what he means to Uconn and WBB--after you have a certain volume of money--any more is just a way of keeping score.
If it keeps Geno for another 5 years--and beyond--since it isn't my taxes or any i'm funding--I'm for it.

 

[mhshuskies]

But the UConn men's coach is making nearly a million bucks more a year?!? Seriously? Kevin Ollie is a run-of-the-mill coach, but compared to the best women's coach in history, Ollie gets paid millions more.

There has to be a serious problem in this.

It points to the inequity between the mens and womens programs throughout sports. To say KO is only a "run-of-the-mill" coach is idiotic. He is one of the better coaches in the college game. If compared to Power 5 conferences alone you would be hard pressed to find a handful who are better. I look at the big 10 and can only think of one coach who can compare. There is not ANY college coach that could better prepare a player to play in the NBA.

 

[HoopsFan21]

There are so many ways the total University could used that money, productively--
Also, i am a believer that --if they offer you --take it. Geno doesn't need the money--at this point the money only shows--what he means to Uconn and WBB--after you have a certain volume of money--any more is just a way of keeping score.
If it keeps Geno for another 5 years--and beyond--since it isn't my taxes or any i'm funding--I'm for it.

Yeah but the state is in a $1.7B deficit, and UConn Health is shutting down its fire department just to save $4M/year. Wonder how much Geno makes from his other lines of business. At some point we're going to have to start choosing whether or not certain sports can be maintained or do we build that new science building instead of having a top notch women's basketball team (ignoring good will)?

 

[bags27]

I think we discussed this earlier. Geno's base salary--paid by UConn--is under $500k/yr. The rest is for his public work and, while too lazy to go back to the original documents and follow this down a rabbit hole, I think I remember that money comes from private sources and/or funded by athletic revenue. It's not money that would otherwise go to UConn's academic mission.

I'm not a fan of these salaries because of the values they transmit to society, but at this point, by all relative measures, Geno is an absolute steal.

 

[HumblePie]

Wonder no more...here are the actual numbers in the below link

The financial impact of championship basketball

The above article is worth reading but here is a key paragraph..."Data that UConn submitted to the U.S. Department of Education shows that for the 2014-2015 academic year, the school incurred $6.7 million in expenses for its women's basketball team while earning $4 million in revenue. For the same period, UConn's men's basketball team, which has won the national title four times since 1999, cost UConn $8.6 million while it earned $9.6 million in revenue. Expenses for the school's lower-profile football team were $14.2 million, which overshadowed its $8.3 million in revenue."

Although it's an interesting report, it in no way goes deep enough to actually determine much. The problem with the figures presented is how accountants amortize and/or allocate revenues and expenses. Although the practices used maybe legal, it doesn't mean they have been dispersed justly. Just comparing the expenses and revenues of the men's team vs. the women's seems out of whack to me.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I think we discussed this earlier. Geno's base salary--paid by UConn--is under $500k/yr. The rest is for his public work and, while too lazy to go back to the original documents and follow this down a rabbit hole, I think I remember that money comes from private sources and/or funded by athletic revenue. It's not money that would otherwise go to UConn's academic mission.

I'm not a fan of these salaries because of the values they transmit to society, but at this point, by all relative measures, Geno is an absolute steal.

I understand the contract and have read it--and the details of where each chunk came from---I've been reading million/billion dollar contracts for years. I spent a few years "shredding" contracts, i.e. dissecting them to smaller understandable sections and interpreting legalese
My points were 2. The money given for sports , what ever that source, could be used more productively for the Total University--which in and of itself if true. And : as long as someones other than I is , with the base coming from taxes, paying --I'll enjoy that which is reaped by their "rewards". I.E. Let the other guy pay!

 

[CL82]

Hooray. Put that to rest for the near future. If he's set till Collier graduates, that would be until 2022. Gives Geno a shot at 6 more NC's. Likely won't get them all, but 4 would put him 15. Nice round number!

Conspiracy Kitty says:
Or will he?

 

[iamcbs]

Who would pay him that much?

It is after all A Connecticut Fan Message Board, a certain amount of hyperbole has to be expected, but hey when you're favorite team is in the midst of 100 game winning streak and has got 11 natty's you're entitled to hyperbole.

 

[baylorprof]

UTexas not only woukd hire him at that price; they would offer a blank check for the official salary and then head to 6th streeet for some bbq and beer
where the "off the record" perks would be discussed.

Aston has a capable Final Four team this year; but Texas good ole boys would drop her in a minute to automatically become king of the hill.

 

[lne001]

Aston has a capable Final Four team this year; but Texas good ole boys would drop her in a minute to automatically become king of the hill.

I would think the 'good ole boys' are far more concerned about the status of Texas football, men's basketball and the whole health of the Big12 in general (or at least they should be).

 

[cohenzone]

That could mean that some of us will not live to see another Husky loss!

Double that for following recruits who are still in elementary school.

 

[JordyG]

I love Geno and believe his performance at UConn is nothing short miraculous. He is the best coach is the history of the game (men's or womens's) and he has single handed carried UConn athletics for the last few years. The value of the UConn women is hard to fully quantify for the university. They have truly put UConn on the map and made UConn women's basketball synonymous with excellence and dominance in a manner no other program ever has. In terms of marketing and branding there is not another women's program which is even close.

All that said, I don't understand how $20 million would be his market value? Women's basketball does not generate a profit. Even the most prolific program, UConn, in a state which embraces women's basketball like Connecticut loses money. No women's basketball program could assess Geno's market value at $20 million because market value is in large part measured by profit generated. If Geno wanted to maximize his salary he would need to move to coaching the men's game and most likely in the NBA.

Geno's contract should be a reminder of what is at stake for UConn in the next few years. Programs like Rutgers will bring in nearly $50 million next year from the Big10 while UConn brings in $3 million from the AAC. How do you pay a women's coach more than he brings in? By dipping into that $50 million Big10 payout. If UConn doesn't get into a P5 conference it will become increasingly difficult to maintain our women's program.

I know our BY boards like to function like separate communites and it is a rare poster who visits and contributes to men's football, men's basketball and women's basketball. I am actually horrified by the amount of animus between the boards. But we can't continue to view the world as a "football versus basketball" issue or a "men's basketball versus women's basketball" issue or a "women's sports versus men's sport" issue. If UConn can't unite it's fan bases it will never make it to the P5 and all UConn sports will suffer.

Geno deserves every penny he gets paid but to quote Clint Eastwood from the movie "The Unforgiven" when Gene Hackman said he didn't deserve to die...."deserves got nothing to do with it."

Interesting. Michigan State, Indiana etc. pull in 50m for the year, yet if Geno was a free agent you don't think one of those schools couldn't afford to pay Geno 20m to coach them? Think again.

 

[CTyankee]

If Geno stays for 5 additional years, he should become the coach with the most wins in NCAA wbb history with somewhere around 1150 wins or more...

 

[HoopsFan21]

If Geno stays for 5 additional years, he should become the coach with the most wins in NCAA wbb history with somewhere around 1150 wins or more...

What about Tara? She's ahead enough where he might not be able to close the gap on her.

 

[dwalks93]

Interesting. Michigan State, Indiana etc. pull in 50m for the year, yet if Geno was a free agent you don't think one of those schools couldn't afford to pay Geno 20m to coach them? Think again.

Hmmm..."think again"...ok I will and I'll provide some factual content for my opinions.

Below are the highest paid college coaches in America. Geno is without a doubt the most successful coach in women's basketball. For purposes of comparison I will use arguably the most successful coaches of both men's football and men's basketball.

The 25 Highest-Paid College Coaches of 2017 | The Best Schools

Nick Saban is the HC of Alabama football and makes just under $7 million dollars per year. While under his tutelage Alabama football generated almost $95 million of revenue and over $53 million in surplus revenue. see link below... Doing some rough math shows that Nick Saban is paid about 7% of the total Alabama football revenue

Football revenue keeps Alabama rolling in dough

Coach Mike Krzyzewski is the HC for the Duke University men's basketball program and makes nearly $9.7 million per year. Last year the Duke men's basketball program brought in $27 million in revenue. Doing some quick math indicates that Coach K was paid approximately 36% of the total Duke basketball revenue.

March Madness: Is Coach K overpaid?

So how did you determine Geno's fair market value to be $20 million per year? $20 million is nearly triple Nick Saban's salary and more than double Coach K's salary. In fact, even using the higher Duke percentage of salary to total revenue ratio (36%), a women's basketball program under Geno would need to produce almost $57,000,000 in total revenue to justify a $20 million salary.

Obviously you are passionate about UConn women's basketball and Geno but your $20 million salary hyperbole has no quantifiable basis. It is literally a number you pulled out of thin air which is not how coaches salaries are determined.

While we may not like it, big time Div 1 sports, to include college basketball and football, are a business. This is why a mediocre men's football or basketball coach will make more than a truly unique, once in a lifetime women's coach. A mediocre coach at the men's level brings in money and Geno, who is the greatest coach in the world, coaches a program which overall loses money. It does not make Geno's accomplishments less remarkable and I love the UConn women as much as I love the UConn men regardless of the revenues. But it will effect the salaries.

So why would Indiana pay $20 million for Geno? Wouldn't Indiana be better off hiring Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh (all at the same time for about the same amount of money) to run their football program? In fact why stop there IU could hire Coach K, Kentucky Basketball Coach John Calipari and Kansas Basketball Coach Bill Self all at the same time for the same money. Geno is already the highest paid women's coach in the game but now Indiana is going raise his salary 6 times over which is more than double or triple the men's basketball and football top earners?

Coaches do not get paid for wins. Coaches get paid for the number of people willing to pay to watch their team. Winning just draws more viewers.

But hey, at least I thought again....