Bo and Asst. Coach Salaries

Submitted by Ziff72 on

Saw this article on the ESN blog about Dabo Swinney sending part of his raise to his assistants which is a nice story , but I raised an eyebrow at the end.

There is a clause in Swinney's contract stating that if he won the ACC, he would rise to a certain level from a salary standpoint among ACC coaches. When he won the 2011 title, that meant this year's contract would increase by $422,000. He is taking $265,000 of that to give to his coaches. Technically, it's an allocation -- not money he has already received. It's a true investment in his program -- one I've never heard of or seen elsewhere in the college coaching ranks -- and odds are it will pay off. It is proof of the literal value of coaching stability.

She states that she has never heard of such a thing.   Before I lecture her on being a wippersnapper and knowing her college football history isn't it true that Bo directed all sorts of income due to him to his coaches?   I know I've read that in books about Bo so unless Bacon and Albom are liars she is mistaken.    

Does anyone have further details on coaches salaries from back with Bo and Mo?  I know they were underpaid but were the assistants also underpaid.

 

 

jg2112

February 16th, 2012 at 5:56 PM ^

I believe Mark Richt suffered secondary NCAA violations by giving some money from his own salary to his assistant coaches in the past few years.

manchild56

February 16th, 2012 at 6:09 PM ^

did but he did to coaches that where fired or let go before their contracts were up. So since they werent with the university anymore I think that was the problem like the one guy who was let go or not renewed by Georgia Mark gave him $10,000 dollars one year till he could hire him again or he got another job.

Erik_in_Dayton

February 16th, 2012 at 5:59 PM ^

But I believe that Michigan football assistants were underpaid just like Bo and Mo.  Specifically, I think you could argue that they were underpaid until the current regime came in - and maybe that some of them still are. 

As far as head coaches looking out for assistants, my understanding is that Tressel sometimes named a co-coordinator as a way of getting that guy a raise. 

FrankMurphy

February 16th, 2012 at 5:58 PM ^

Mark Richt thought some of his assistants were underpaid and he paid them bonuses out of his own pocket when he couldn't get Georgia to pony up a raise. That's a lot better than what Dabo is doing, IMHO.

Bluegoose

February 16th, 2012 at 6:08 PM ^

Bo gave all of his shoe money, summer camp money, TV and radio money (in short everything but his salary) to his assistants.

It came out in the Norby Walters agent trial in Chicago in which Bo testified for the prosecution. I think it was detailed in Bacon's book re Bo's Lasting Lessons.

 

Edit: Bo started out at $20,000 per year in 1969 on a one year contract and a handshake at that. That's the way it was for years between him and Canham.

True Blue Grit

February 16th, 2012 at 6:12 PM ^

all of the coaches were not paid that well.  How their compensation compared to other colleges I'm really not certain.  But, I know that Don Canham was very frugal with salaries, even in a time before the big money started rolling into college sports.   I think it contributed to Johnny Orr going to Iowa State (of all places) and Bill Frieder bailing out when ASU offered him more $$.  Even Bo briefly flirted with the idea of going to Texas A&M for a big raise.  But, absolutely, Bo was never about the financial rewards of the job.  He was generous with giving more to his coaches because he knew the team's success depended on it, and he didn't want to lose them due to money reasons.

manchild56

February 16th, 2012 at 6:27 PM ^

if Bo had gone to A&M I mean Bear and Bo both coaching at College Station I bet they would have had a long run at A&M that might still be one of the greatest schools in college football. But shoulda coulda woulda right thank the Lord he stayed in Ann Arbor. But could have really made A&M the team of the 70's and 80's and maybe even the 90's.

ScottGoBlue

February 16th, 2012 at 8:32 PM ^

Bill McCartney was the HC at Colorado 1982-1994. He was national HC of the year in 1989 and shared the National Champoinship in 1990. In his last year, he came to the big house and beat us on a last second 64 yard Hail Mary. It was epically crushing. He left coaching to oversee a ministry he founded called Promise Keepers.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_McCartney

manchild56

February 16th, 2012 at 8:46 PM ^

hail mary game it was one of the few games I remember before the 95 season thats when I was the fanatic who hasnt missed watching a game since the Virginia Mercury Hayes cach in Lloyds first game ever. I remember Remy Hamiltons FG to beat ND in 94, the hail mary game the 2 straight Wheatley Rosebowls. Whole point is I knew Colorado was good a power back then just never knew our DC was their HC. So thanks for the knowledge drop guys the more history I know about U of M the better.

MGoSoftball

February 16th, 2012 at 7:06 PM ^

Bo did more that flirt with the idea.  He took a visit to Texas.  They offered to make him the highest paid coach in College Football in 1978.  IIRC if any other coach was given more money then what Bo made, T A&M would match and "1 up" so Bo would always be the highest paid coach.

I remember it vividly.  I was in Junior High and I could not sleep.  My Dad said "Bo would NEVER leave Michigan.  He just wanted a free trip to Texas"  Im not sure if the latter was true or not, but I certainly hoped it to be true.

Robbie Moore

February 16th, 2012 at 7:42 PM ^

That on the evening that Bo was going to decide Tom Monaghan drove over to Bo's house and offered him an inducement to stay...a Dominos franchise in...wait for it...Columbus. Bo thanked him and turned down the offer.

By the way, had Bo left his successor would have been DC Bill McCartney.

manchild56

February 16th, 2012 at 8:52 PM ^

I grew up and still live in Ohio I have a picture of my 8th birthday all decked out in U of M gear and my mom made a Michigan cake for me so that was 1988. I didnt really get die hard till around the 1995 season when Lloyd took over thats why I love Lloyd so much to this day. So I watched all I could from 1988 to 1994 but as of DC or OC at the U of M before 1995 I was not all up to speed yet. So no I just learned quite a lot that I prevously did not know.

Bluegoose

February 16th, 2012 at 9:04 PM ^

Monaghan came over to offer the Columbus franchise as inducement to keep Bo at M. Bo told him to forget it because he was staying anyway and had already decided. Monaghan talked Bo into taking the franchise anyway, which Bo did. I believe he owned it until his death in spite of the fall out with Monahan over the Tigers.

WolverineHistorian

February 16th, 2012 at 9:45 PM ^

When Channel 7 in Detroit did a fluff piece on Bo's retirement (which was aired again after his death) it showed a clip from the press conference where he announced he would be staying at Michigan.  The date was January 15, 1982 which was just a couple weeks after the Bluebonnet Bowl win over UCLA.

Skip ahead to 2:00 in...

 

cozy200

February 16th, 2012 at 6:26 PM ^

This is going to sound redundant to some im sure.  But with the great job D.B. is doing raising all of this money for the "school and students" its my opinoin that our current staff is underpaid.  Our coaches should be the highest paid in their field, period.  If we expect greatness we should be willing to commit to these men a life long investment.  I understand if you always go with the guy who wants the most money, turn-about is fair and he could leave for more, but hoke and co have vastly over achieved their first year and are underpaid.  I would rather my money spent on this program, tickets, merch etc be directed either at the players or the coaches salaries.  I want Mattison around for a very long time, give them a boat load of cash.  They have and will continue to earn it the Michigan way.

justingoblue

February 16th, 2012 at 6:51 PM ^

After him, I'm not sure how the other assistants stack up. I know this is going to rub some people the wrong way, but let's wait another season or two before opening up and paying Mack Brown/Nick Saban money for Brady Hoke.

I'm a believer, but there's a reason those guys make $5m a year, and we're not there yet.

GunnersApe

February 17th, 2012 at 7:43 AM ^

I don't remember if it was "Lasting Lessons" or "Bo" but Bo mentions the shadiness of the deal as it was driven by a booster, he would make more money than the school president and he felt like he would be owned by the said booster to be at his beck and call.