15 College Football Coaches Who Should Be PO'd About Colleagues Who Make More $$

There are at least a dozen good reasons why people shouldn’t know how much money other folks make, especially those who serve in similar positions.

But, when you work for a publically held institution which is held to information disclosure policies all attempts to turn a blind eye to compensation comparisons are thrown out the window in favor of transparency.

The following slideshow utilizes the highly intriguing coaches’ salary database provided recently by USA Today to pinpoint 15 college football coaches who should be at least somewhat miffed about what other gridiron leaders are paid.

Comparison with others is probably at the root of a myriad of societal and personal issues in our culture but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t prone to point out instances where life simply is not fair.

Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

Current Total Pay: $2,828,000

Points of Contention:  Will Muschamp (Florida) $3,221,000, Brady Hoke (Michigan) $3,254,000 and Bobby Petrino (Arkansas) $3,635,000

South Carolina is certainly no Florida or Michigan but the highly decorated Steve Spurrier looks to be underpaid in comparison to guys who either just showed up or have only been around for a couple of years.

Steve Spurrier is 53-35 in seven seasons at South Carolina and besides his SEC East title in 2010 he boasts six SEC conference crowns, one ACC title and one national championship.

Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech

Current Total Pay: $2,328,000

Points of Contention:   Derek Dooley (Tennessee) $2,330,591, Houston Nutt (Ole Miss) $2,771,750, and Jimbo Fisher (Florida State) $2,750,000

The differences in compensation between these coaches doesn’t seem that substantial until you remember who Frank Beamer is  and how long he’s managed to sustain success at Virginia Tech.

Beamer is in his 25^th season in Blacksburg where he has posted a 208-96-2 record which include three Big East crowns, four ACC titles and five BCS appearances.

This makes a couple of newcomers and a guy who is on his way out look either way overpaid or perhaps Beamer is the best bargain in coaching.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Current Total Pay: $2,100,000

Points of Contention:   Mike Sherman (Texas A&M) $2,201,000 and Turner Gill (Kansas) $2,101,200

Mike Gundy has led his alma mater on the gridiron for seven seasons and his 57-30 record includes back–to-back nine win seasons in 2008-09 and consecutive ten-plus win years in 2010-11.

While the differences in Gundy’s compensation and that of Sherman and Gill are certainly marginal the results are not.  Sherman is 25-24 (15-17 in Big 12 play) in four seasons in College Station and Gill is 5-18 over two years in Kansas.

Gary Patterson, TCU

 Current Total Pay: $2,018,362

Points of Contention:   Mike Sherman (Texas A&M) $2,201,000 and Turner Gill (Kansas) $2,101,200

Gary Patterson has done about as well at TCU as anyone could have ever hoped for.

Patterson is 107-30 over 11 seasons in Fort Worth and owns a C-USA title and four MWC crowns.  Perhaps most impressive, Patterson has been so successful at TCU that he helped put them in a position to rejoin their old foes in the now Big 12 conference in 2012.

Patterson’s record is impeccable which makes Sherman and Gill’s higher earnings seem ridiculous.

Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Current Total Pay: $1,918,000

Points of Contention:   Randy Edsall (Maryland) $2,013,440 and Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) $3,785,000 and Brady Hoke (Michigan) $3,254,000

Sure, Michigan is a bigger university than is Michigan State but really the state of Michigan should be embarrassed that Mark Dantonio makes more than a million dollars less per year than first year head coach Brady Hoke.

Seriously?

Dantonio is 42-21 over five seasons in East Lansing and his 2011 first ever Legends Division title gives him and the Spartans the opportunity to win their second straight Big Ten title on December 3.

Maybe even a bigger poke is the fact that Dantonio is paid less than Maryland first year head coach Randy Edsall who has led the Terrapins to a 2-9 record in 2011.

Chris Petersen, Boise State

Current Total Pay: $1,525,000

Points of Contention:   Art Briles (Baylor) $1,549,396 and Ron Zook ($1,753,500)

Really Chris Petersen could have a reason to be miffed about the comparative compensation of about one third of the guys in USA Today’s database.

Peterson is 70-6 in his six seasons at Boise State including a 2-0 record in BCS bowl play.

It’s almost unthinkable that Petersen would be paid less than Briles (who has done well at Baylor but its still Baylor) and Zook (who continues to take ever so small steps at Illinois).

Mike Riley, Oregon State

Current Total Pay: $1,313,471

Points of Contention:   Mike Stoops (fired from Arizona State) $1,465,000, Dana Holgorsen (West Virginia) $1,490,000 and Steve Sarkisian (Washington) $2,250,000

Did you know that Mike Riley is the fourth lowest paid coach in the Pac-12?

Despite back-to-back disappointing seasons in 2010 and 2011 Riley is 72-62 in his 11 seasons in Corvallis and is 5-1 in bowl play

Sure, Riley might be nearing end of his career but how in the world does Steve Sarkisian (18-18 in three seasons) make a cool mill per year more than him?

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

Current Total Pay: $1,189,961

Point of Contention:   Kevin Wilson (Indiana) $1,260,000

Hey Pat Fitzgerald!  Here’s a real kick in the pants…Kevin Wilson from Indiana (um, that’s 1-10 Indiana) makes $70,000 dollars a year more than you.

Yes, we all know that you’re 40-34 over six seasons at the Wildcats helm and yeah, we know that you have had your team bowl eligible for four consecutive years for the first time in program history but apparently that’s not enough to pay you more than what the Indiana job gets.

Chris Ault, Nevada

Current Total Pay: $438,952

Points of Contention:    Rick Stockstill (Middle Tennessee State) $589,405, Dan McCarney (North Texas) $545,000 and Neil Callaway (UAB) $446,800.

Chris Ault is 225-101-1 over two stints at Nevada which add up to 27 seasons on the sidelines in Reno.

He’s enjoyed six 10-plus win seasons in his career and led the Wolf Pack to a 13-1 finish in 2010 than included a final AP ranking of No. 11.

But this amazing resume is not enough to earn Ault a fatter paycheck than Stockstill, McCarney and Callaway whose three teams combine this season for a 10-23 record.

Wow.

Hugh Freeze, Arkansas State

Current Total Pay: $202,160

Points of Contention:  Todd Berry (ULM) $225,000 and Dan McCarney (North Texas) $545,000

It’s hard to jump up and down about a guy’s compensation during his first season as a head coach at the FBS level but still Hugh Freeze has earned every penny of what Arkansas State has paid him this year.

The Red Wolves are 9-2 thus far in 2011 and have just accepted a bowl bid that marks only the second in program history.

How good of a value is Freeze?

Well, he’s the lowest paid guy in the entire database with a base salary of $151,660 which is considerably less than Sun Belt adversaries listed above who are 3-8 (ULM) and 4-7 (North Texas) thus far in 2011.

Tom O’Brien, NC State

Current Total Pay: $1,877,950

Point of Contention:  Randy Edsall (Maryland) $2,013,440

Tom O’Brien has served NC State as head football coach since 2007 and has compiled a 31-30 record that includes three bowl eligible seasons.

Prior to O’Brien’s current run in Raleigh he went 75-45 over 10 seasons at Boston College.

But what equates to a 106-75 career mark is not enough for O’Brien to be compensated more than first year head coach Randy Edsall who is 2-9 in 2011 and 76-79 all-time.

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

Current Total Pay: $4,075,000

Point of Contention:   Mack Brown (Texas) $5,193,500

Perhaps it’s no surprise that as the top wage earner among all college coaches Mack Brown out earns Bob Stoops by a cool million but if you look at a few simple numbers you could make an argument that it just “ain’t right.”

Brown is 139-35 over 14 years at Texas and boasts six Big 12 south divisional titles, two Big 12 conference crowns and one national championship.

Stoops is 137-33 over 13 years at Oklahoma and has captured eight Big 12 south division crowns, seven Big 12 conference titles and one national title.

That means Stoops has two more divisional titles and five additional conference titles in one less year.

Who should be making more than whom?

Exactly.

Rich Ellerson, Army

Current Total Pay: $610,000

Points of Contention:  Ken Niumatalolo (Navy) $1,538,190, Troy Calhoun (Air Force) $889,095    

If you thought that the service academies paid their head football coaches a relatively similar amount you (and I) would be wrong.

Army’s Rich Ellerson is the least paid of the armed forces gridiron leaders with Air Force’s Calhoun making approximately $200,000 more and Navy’s Niumatalolo earning almost three times more.

You could make a solid argument that Ellerson has enjoyed the least success of the three coaches but don’t forget that in 2010 he led Army to their first bowl victory in over 25 years.

Bill Snyder, Kansas State

 Current Total Pay: $1,925,000

Point of Contention:   Mike Sherman (Texas A&M) $2,201,000 and Turner Gill (Kansas) $2,101,200

Bill Snyder is the legendary coach who took Kansas State football from the valley of continuous defeat to the high ground of double digit wins, championships, bowl wins and respect.

And he’s done it twice.

Snyder is 158-82-1 all-time, is 6-6 in bowl play, and has four Big 12 North titles and one conference title which makes it hard to understand how Mike Sherman, Turner Gill and 30 other FBS coaches make more money each year than Kansas State’s coach.

Who else makes more than Snyder?

Randy Edsall (Maryland), Steve Sarkisian (Washington), Jim Grobe (Wake Forest), Greg Schiano (Rutgers), Jeff Tedford (Cal), Charlie Strong (Louisville) and Derek Dooley (Tennessee).

Wow.

Mark Richt, Georgia

Current Total Pay: $2,939,800

Points of Contention:  Will Muschamp (Florida) $3,221,000, Brady Hoke (Michigan) $3,254,000 and Bobby Petrino (Arkansas) $3,635,000

Mark Richt is in his 12^th season at Georgia where he is 105-36 and has captured four SEC East titles and two SEC conference crowns.

Despite the Bulldogs 6-7 record in2010 it is hard to swallow Richt being paid $200,000 less to first year head man Muschamp, unproven Hoke and then being a full $600,000 under Bobby Petrino who is a good coach but doesn’t have near the long term success.