Despite the current inflation rates for coaching salaries, University of Arizona officials don’t appear to be breaking the bank with their proposed contract extension for Mike Stoops.
The football coach would receive $1 million for the 2009 season and a $100,000 raise the following four years. Regents could approve the contract during their meeting next weekend, or as early as April 30. Stoops, who helped give UA fans their first bowl win in 10 years last season, made just under $700,000 a year in his old contract.
UA, conversely, is scheduled to pay new basketball coach Sean Miller $2 million a year as part of a five-year deal worth $11 million.
Of course, $1 million a year is still a lot of money, and Stoops would stand to make even more under incentives of up to $655,000:
• Athletic: Participation in a preseason game, $50,000; Pac-10 champion, $125,000; non-BCS bowl game, $75,000; BCS bowl other than national title game, $100,000; BCS national title game, $150,000
• BCS national rankings: 1-10, $50,000; 11-15, $40,000; 16-25; $30,000.
• Win-loss record for 12-game season (excludes preseason or bowls): 7-5, $40,000; 8-4, $50,000; 9-3, $60,000; 10-2, $70,000; 11-1, $80,000; 12-0, $90,000.
• Average home paid attendance: 48,001-50,000, $45,000; 50,000-plus, $60,0000
• Total season tickets sold: 35,000-40,000, $60,000; 40,000-45,000, $70,000; 45,001-plus, $80,000
• Coach of the year honors: Pac-10, $30,000; national, $50,000
If UA fires Stoops for cause, it is liable for salary due at the date of termination. If UA fires Stoops without cause, it must pay him one-half of the remaining value of the guaranteed compensation.
If Stoops leaves before 2013, he must pay UA $250,000 in liquidated damages at school president Robert Shelton’s discretion.