The Trend Has Been Set

Mike Shanahan recently signed a 5-year deal, which will reportedly pay the newly hired Redskins coach, 7 million dollars a year over five years. While Mike Shanahan is one heck of a coach with Super Bowl credentials, neither he nor any coach is worth 7 million dollars per year. Washington made a great movie in signing one of the best coaches in the game; he will bring a good staff with him and will bring creditability back to an organization that desperately needs it. But to pay a head coach that much money is redicouls. Bill Belichick, one of, if not, the greatest Head Coaches in history reportedly earned only 4.2 million dollars in 2007. While he did receive a contract extension last year, the terms of that deal is a mystery, like everything with Belichick for that matter. We may never know the terms of that deal, but nearly a 3 million dollar jump for a new Head Coaching hiring in only three years is unheard of. Just last year, The Rams hired Steve Spagnuolo to a 4-year deal worth a reported 11.5 million. Shortly there after, The New York Jets hired Rex Ryan to a 4 years a deal worth around 11.5 million dollars. As precedent has shown, you’re likely going to get a contract similar to the coach before you. Just a few weeks after, Pete Carroll singed a reported 5 year 35 million dollar deal. Pete Carroll a coach with success on the collegiate level and not the pros is getting nearly the same deal as a Super Bowl winning coach? Does that make sense? No, but the trend had been set.

Free Agent players and coaches sign contracts based on their play or record, age, ability and also on what the market slot is set on. And that slot gets set on what a player or coach similar to him had just signed for or makes. That’s why you see every year draftees and their signing bonuses rise every year. From a Head Coaching stand point, there are far less jobs to come by, as it is a hot commodity when one is avabile. Impending coaches have a lot of leverage if they’re wanted.

One precedent which has been set is that when one signs a new deal, free agent coaches sitting in the commentary booths and in there homes lick their lips; cause it means one thing. The trend has been set.