Michigan Football: Al Borges's Raise Is the Right Move

For those interested in coaches' wallets and the thickness thereof, we have some exciting news from Ann Arbor. Al Borges got PAID, son:

Offensive coordinator Al Borges, who did not have a formal contract for the $350,000 he received in 2011, received a major pay bump and a three-year contract in January.

His salary this coming year will be $650,000, increasing by $50,000 each of the following two seasons.

Borges’ contract, signed Jan. 24 and obtained by the Free Press through a public records request, has a base salary of $250,000 and additional compensation starting at $300,000 and rising by $50,000 each year. He also will have a deferred-compensation account that will receive $100,000 each year of the contract.

The raise puts him closer in line with Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who is currently making $750,000 (and, after the Greg Robinson era, deserves about 10 times that).

Borges' bona fides are impeccable. He overhauled the Wolverines' offense to a more pro-style approach, and while that gradually morphed back into the spread over the course of the season, Michigan still scored more points per game than in any of Rich Rodriguez's three years at the helm (Note: that'll win you a bar bet or two). It's Year 2 of the House of Borges now; the offense should be far more nuanced in 2012 than last year.

More than that, though, it's almost always good sense to take care of your assistant coaches. It's hard enough to maintain continuity and not put your athletes (who, let's remember, are lucky if they get four full years to play) through the time and stress of learning a new offense or defense.

If a coach's performance is unacceptable, yes, he needs to be held accountable, but the good ones are presented with opportunities for advancement all the time. Take care of them! Pay them! Do your players a solid and make sure they see as few new faces on the staff as possible.