Examining extra cash given to college coaches for winning certain games


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PROVO — Sometimes hard work can really pay off at your job, especially if you are a college football coach.

Put yourself in the shoes of Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel, who had a pretty successful year last season — financially that is.

Pinkel received some serious commission cash, not for sales, but victories.

USA Today reported that his basic compensation was $3.4 million, and when the Tigers advanced to their second consecutive Southeastern Conference title game, it set the stage for a contract extension that included raises to more than $3.75 million for this season, his final one, as it turned out.

Then there were the bonuses. Seven of them. Totaling $900,000.

There is obviously more on the line than just getting a win when two big teams compete.

Some other interesting notes from last year:

Nick Saban, head coach at Alabama, raked in an extra $200,000 for appearing in the College Football Playoff last year.

Saban also pocketed another $100,000 for being ranked in the top quarter of the SEC in "graduation success rate".

Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez and his Wildcats reached the Pac-12 Championship game last year which resulted in an extra $200,000 and another $50,000 for being named the conference's coach of the year.

Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Rodriguez's state rival Arizona State rewarded Sun Devils head coach Todd Graham with $300,000 for winning 10 games in 2014.

You can view other bonuses that coaches received here.

When BYU travels to Utah State this Saturday there is $5,000 on the line for Utah State head coach Matt Wells, but nothing for BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall. Wells is thrown an extra $5,000 for each win against Utah or BYU.

Jokingly, Mendenhall said that Wells should be paid much more than $5,000 if they beat BYU.

"Dang, is that all?" Mendenhall said. "He needs to get a raise for that. I need to help him negotiate that."

Mendenhall said that this incentive doesn't surprise him because it is an in-state game between two of the top three football teams in Utah.

"It has to do with management. You want to play well at home and you want to play well within the state and then have it expanded from there," said Mendenhall. "I think that reflects kind of targeting BYU for $5,000."

BYU makes the road trip to Utah State this Saturday, with kickoff set for 1:30 MST.

Listen to today's post-practice interviews in the "Cougar Cuts" section below.


Tanner is a student at Brigham Young University studying Business Management. He is from the great northwest of Portland, Oregon. He hopes to find a profession that combines his passion of sports broadcasting and marketing.

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Tanner Apeland

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