Coaching salaries and what it might take
The top 10 salaries in american football for 2014 are:
Sean Payton - $8.0M
Bill Belichick - $7.5M
Andy Reid - $7.5M
Pete Carroll - $7.0M
John Harbaugh - $7.0M
Jeff Fisher - $7.0M
Nick Saban - $6.9M (or higher)
Tom Coughlin - $6.8M
Mike Tomlin - $6.0M
Mike McCarthy- $6.0M
(next highest is $5.25M)
Speaking hypothetically of course, would Michigan be bold enough to offer a slam dunk candidate a 15-year contract with a starting salary of $7.0M that escalates at a 5% rate? Who the hell would be able to counter such an offer? The NFL never hands out long terms like that. Too much uncertainty and parity.
College football is different, where long-term success is more attainable and assured.
Of course, I can only think of one guy who would be worth such an offer.
Discuss.
November 14th, 2014 at 5:52 PM ^
15 years? I doubt it. I don't think Michigan or any of the top coaches would even want that. Those type of long term contracts never work out well.
If we're talking about Harbaugh here, I was thinking something along the lines of 7 years $50 million or so. That seems like fair value for a guy with his track record.
November 14th, 2014 at 6:00 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 7:36 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 10:07 PM ^
Yeah...if the tree limbs to John. I don't think think we should count on Jim to stay here 5+ years, but there would be obvious benefits to offering a great winning power 5 conference team to any coach.
November 14th, 2014 at 8:01 PM ^
Notre Dame will be paying Charlie Weiss $2M/year through 2015 and Kansas will be paying him $2.5M/year through 2016. Between ND and Kansas, Weiss will make $24M to not coach two football teams.
It is idiotic to even propose signing a coach to a 15 year contract. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
November 14th, 2014 at 5:52 PM ^
Thanks God you said "Discuss". I would have just read it and not discussed it.
November 14th, 2014 at 6:05 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 6:49 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 6:50 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 8:07 PM ^
THIS SORT OF THING HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BEFORE
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YES
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IT INVOLVED A DISTORTION IN THE SPACE TIME CONTINUUM AND AN APPRENTICESHIP
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YES
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AND COMMENTS
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YES
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November 14th, 2014 at 8:08 PM ^
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COMMENCE
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November 15th, 2014 at 6:50 AM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 5:53 PM ^
I think the ceiling at Michigan is 4-5 million, and that is only for a Harbaugh type guy.
November 14th, 2014 at 5:55 PM ^
If Alabama can pay Saban $7 million, then we can pay Harbaugh the same. Texas is paying Charlie Strong $5 million, and he doesn't have nearly the accolades that Harbaugh has. Fact is, if you want to lure Harbaugh away from the NFL (and I assume we all do), then 4-5 million won't cut it.
November 14th, 2014 at 6:08 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 6:12 PM ^
I have heard that and I find that awfully hard to believe. I think we would need to at least match what he's making now. Either way, the best way to show him how much we want him to come here would be to offer him as much as Saban is making.
November 14th, 2014 at 7:10 PM ^
There's one thing no other place in the world can offer: The opportunity to make Michigan Michigan again. The opportunity to do for this era what Bo did in 1969.
Most of these guys making millions are already pretty high on Maslow's Ladder, and I think once you're there, things like reputation and legacy start to take new importance. I don't presume to know what's going on in JH's head, but I'd bet there's a pretty good chance that he'd trade that 10-20% upside to be one of the greats at his alma mater.
November 14th, 2014 at 6:12 PM ^
I suppose I can't relate since I'll probably never be making millions dollars, but do you really notice a difference between making 4 million and 7 million a year? Either way, I don't think I could spend the money fast enough. I wonder if you even notice
November 14th, 2014 at 6:28 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 8:05 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 10:46 PM ^
Latrell Spreewell couldn't feed his family on that kind of money.
November 14th, 2014 at 11:16 PM ^
Yeah that got Latrell all choked up!
November 14th, 2014 at 7:40 PM ^
Dude already has cayshe in his bank account, I'm sure. I don't know if he reaped it in as an NFL QB -- salaries weren't what they are now -- but he's been making multi-millions for a few years. Probably $28M over the last 4 years at SF. After taxes, he's probably banked $15M already. Plus, it's not like he stops earning money after he stops coaching at UM -- if he wins the Natty, he can go pro again, or get a TV gig that'll pay somethin' somethin'. He's set for life I'm sure.
I mean, yeah, taking $4M will probably feed the family.
I think the huge $$$ is all about macho pride -- hey that dude makes $X, I'm better than him, I deserve $X+Y. I think Harbaugh comes to UM not because of financial considerations, but to have statues build in his name -- frankly, to have a stadium named after himself, that level of ego.
November 14th, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
If Harbaugh demands a king's ransom to come to AA then we don't need him. Seriously. They guy is a great coach, but isn't it already a warning flag that SF wants him gone despite his success there? I think he is a good fit to do well at Michigan right now, but come on.
November 14th, 2014 at 9:15 PM ^
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November 15th, 2014 at 1:11 AM ^
I think that if John Harbaugh is making $7.0 million, the quickest way to get Jim here is to offer him $7.1 million. It's worth it to get someone who is that competitive...
November 14th, 2014 at 6:16 PM ^
you start dropping 7 mil for a coach and you are probably over 10 mil for your coaches... and if you are spending that much you had better be winning national championships... I just don't know. It is a public university...
I could live with a well coached team that only competes for a national championship every couple years if we could play with discipline and not be such a shit show.
Then again, I am in the only way to win a national championship is to cheat camp so I'm not so concerned on National Championships...
I don't want to urge players to take medicals or over recruit and cut people... I don't want to pay players... I don't want take fringe level recruits... so I'm not one to condone spending NFL money on a coach.
jdon
November 14th, 2014 at 7:07 PM ^
Alabama is not the model for Michigan. This is a university with a football program, and not the other way around. Michigan may make an exception for Harbaugh, but it won't be Saban-like. I can understand why git-r-duns with nothing more to do in their state than shoot guns, poison trees, and watch college football could pay Nick Saban $7 million. But that is not Michigan.
November 14th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^
We should clarify that Saban's original deal at Alabama was for like $3-4M per season. He now makes a lot more because he's been getting raises as a reward for the national titles, and also to keep him there.
November 14th, 2014 at 10:45 PM ^
That is an excellent point. If you start at $7M, it's a one-way ratchet, with unreasonably high expectations already baked in the opening salary.
November 14th, 2014 at 6:49 PM ^
Why not? It's the best investment a school could make. Pay for all your sports by hiring a good football coach.
By your line of thinking they should lower ticket prices by 80% and eliminate most sports. Come on.
November 14th, 2014 at 6:52 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 7:33 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 7:42 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 8:05 PM ^
Right, and if you want to lure someone away from their current job, or from a higher level of their profession, you aren't going to do it by matching or going below their current salary. If Michigan is serious about trying to poach Harbaugh from the NFL, they need to go strong with an offer in the $5-7M range, not the $4-5M range.
Nothing says we really want you like a Brinks truck full of money.
November 14th, 2014 at 8:26 PM ^
We're not talking about a Harbaugh type guy. We're talking about Harbaugh. If Jim Harbaugh needs more than 4-5 million dollars to come back to Michigan and live out his fantasy then fuck him. Seriously.
November 14th, 2014 at 8:37 PM ^
Who said he'd be living out his fantasy? And what does that have to do with anything?
Michigan's situation is pretty equivalent to Texas (who just hired a guy for $5M a year), so $4-5M is the minimum of what it's going to take to hire a top flight coach. Factor in that their top candidate is currently making $5M/yr and the program isn't in a position where they can afford miss on their third straight hire, that means opening up the bank.
November 14th, 2014 at 11:19 PM ^
Yeah, isn't that what we are paying Brady Flintstone now. How is that working out for us?
November 14th, 2014 at 6:54 PM ^
While I do generally agree that colleges shouldn't be getting into a bidding war with NFL teams, I don't see what us being a public school has to do with anything. Our athletic department receives no taxpayer or tuition funds - it's effectively "private".
November 14th, 2014 at 6:57 PM ^
it's a perception thing that will have political reprecussions for the school... less money from the state (I know this is SOP right now anyway but the amount could be cut further) leading to further tuition increases, etc. This isn't Alabama where paying the football coach Godlike money is considered for the greater good by nearly everyone.
November 14th, 2014 at 7:25 PM ^
I don't think it'd be that big of a deal. Hoke already is one of the 10 highest-paid coaches and aside from the fact that most don't think he's worth it, there doesn't seem to be a big outcry about the general principle that we're paying a football coach (and basketball coach) a huge sum.
November 14th, 2014 at 7:46 PM ^
paying a competitive salary to a top tier coach. We're not going to go into record setting territory like the OP is suggesting. If we did, I would expect a backlash.
November 14th, 2014 at 8:16 PM ^
Why would paying Jim Harbaugh $7MM lead to less state funding? The AD is self-sufficient. In fact, it tends to pour money back into the University at every opportunity. So if they raise the coaches salary a couple of million, that just means less extra cash laying around Schembechler Hall. It doesn't mean that the University itself is going to be out any money. How does the coach's salary affect state funding?
November 14th, 2014 at 8:25 PM ^
Perception isn't reality in a statehouse controlled by the GOP in a state where Michigan football isn't what makes the world go round.
November 14th, 2014 at 9:53 PM ^
Winning isn't the number 1 priority of the athletics department? Then what the hell is? To go 6-6 every season and graduate a lot of players? We're pursuing a coach who believes in the mission of the university of academics. Who cares if we offer 7 million or 4 million? This isn't Harvard or Northwestern athletics and never has been.
November 14th, 2014 at 7:28 PM ^
7 mil is a bad symbol, but 5 is okay? Explain that, please.
November 14th, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
Wouldn't we have to raise ticket prices if we offered something like that? Don't you think commoners would complain again?
November 14th, 2014 at 9:45 PM ^
November 14th, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
this is silly; the hire can't come soon enough...
November 14th, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
I would coach MICH for a bag of cheeseburgers and a big bag of weed.