Rutgers football salaries are soaring. But will it result in wins?
Three football staffers have base salaries exceeding $1 million, an NJ Advance Media analysis found.
Rutgers football salaries are soaring. But will it result in wins?
- Thread starter Tango Two
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and people wonder why players want paid. I can't see how anyone can justify not paying players when you have three assistant coaches making $1 million + a year. It not like Rutgers in an outlier in that regard. People like to point the finger at players being greedy but they are only following the example set for them by coaches and administrators making these exorbitant salaries.
There were 18 Big Ten assistant coaches last season with salaries of at least $1M, among the schools reporting data (https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/football/assistant). I'm sure that number will increase this year, as there were 7 more (including Harasymiak at #110 overall) making at least $800K last year.
P6 schools that did not report data, alphabetically: Baylor, Boston College, BYU, Duke, Miami, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Penn St, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, USC, Vanderbilt, USC, Wake Forest
Looking at overall assistant coaching salaries in the conference last year:
1 - $9,323,490 - Ohio State
8 - $7,846,614 - Michigan State
16 - $6,730,000 - Iowa
21 - $6,462,250 - Michigan
26 - $5,697,500 - Illinois
27 - $5,515,000 - Nebraska
28 - $5,400,000 - Wisconsin
31 - $5,081,034 - Rutgers
32 - $5,075,000 - Maryland
34 - $4,915,000 - Purdue
35 - $4,885,000 - Indiana
41 - $4,633,000 - Minnesota
N/A - Penn State
N/A - Northwestern
But the headline "Rutgers spending in line with its peers" isn't as attention-grabbing and doesn't fit with the NJ.com narrative.
P6 schools that did not report data, alphabetically: Baylor, Boston College, BYU, Duke, Miami, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Penn St, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, USC, Vanderbilt, USC, Wake Forest
| Rank | Coach | Team | Salary | Conf | Max Bonus | Overall Ast Coach Total Pay | Head Coach Total Pay | Strength Coach Total Pay |
| 3 | Jim Knowles | Ohio State | $1,957,000 | Big 10 | $748,553 | $9,323,490 | $10,271,250 | $882,238 |
| 16 | Brian Hartline | Ohio State | $1,600,000 | Big 10 | $612,000 | $9,323,490 | $10,271,250 | $882,238 |
| 19 | Jay Johnson | Michigan State | $1,462,500 | Big 10 | $506,250 | $7,846,614 | $10,015,350 | $500,000 |
| 21 | Phil Parker | Iowa | $1,400,000 | Big 10 | $525,000 | $6,730,000 | $7,000,000 | $760,000 |
| 25 | Marcus Satterfield | Nebraska | $1,400,000 | Big 10 | $560,000 | $5,515,000 | $5,500,000 | $450,000 |
| 22 | Kirk Ciarrocca | Rutgers | $1,400,000 | Big 10 | $630,000 | $5,081,034 | $4,000,000 | $500,000 |
| 30 | Phil Longo | Wisconsin | $1,250,000 | Big 10 | $195,000 | $5,400,000 | $7,625,000 | $455,000 |
| 35 | Brian Williams | Maryland | $1,200,000 | Big 10 | $225,000 | $5,075,000 | $5,500,000 | $475,000 |
| 36 | Scottie Hazelton | Michigan State | $1,191,667 | Big 10 | $412,500 | $7,846,614 | $10,015,350 | $500,000 |
| 37 | Larry Johnson | Ohio State | $1,166,990 | Big 10 | $446,373 | $9,323,490 | $10,271,250 | $882,238 |
| 38 | Sherrone Moore | Michigan | $1,150,000 | Big 10 | $575,000 | $6,462,250 | $8,254,600 | $1,000,000 |
| 39 | Jesse Minter | Michigan | $1,150,000 | Big 10 | $575,000 | $6,462,250 | $8,254,600 | $1,000,000 |
| 44 | Joe Rossi | Minnesota | $1,100,000 | Big 10 | $185,000 | $4,633,000 | $6,000,000 | $500,000 |
| 48 | Chris Kapilovic | Michigan State | $1,083,333 | Big 10 | $375,000 | $7,846,614 | $10,015,350 | $500,000 |
| 49 | Harlon Barnett | Michigan State | $1,062,500* | Big 10 | $196,875 | $7,846,614 | $10,015,350 | $500,000 |
| 59 | Justin Frye | Ohio State | $1,000,000 | Big 10 | $382,500 | $9,323,490 | $10,271,250 | $882,238 |
| 65 | Tim Walton | Ohio State | $1,000,000 | Big 10 | $382,500 | $9,323,490 | $10,271,250 | $882,238 |
| 54 | Tony White | Nebraska | $1,000,000 | Big 10 | $400,000 | $5,515,000 | $5,500,000 | $450,000 |
Looking at overall assistant coaching salaries in the conference last year:
1 - $9,323,490 - Ohio State
8 - $7,846,614 - Michigan State
16 - $6,730,000 - Iowa
21 - $6,462,250 - Michigan
26 - $5,697,500 - Illinois
27 - $5,515,000 - Nebraska
28 - $5,400,000 - Wisconsin
31 - $5,081,034 - Rutgers
32 - $5,075,000 - Maryland
34 - $4,915,000 - Purdue
35 - $4,885,000 - Indiana
41 - $4,633,000 - Minnesota
N/A - Penn State
N/A - Northwestern
But the headline "Rutgers spending in line with its peers" isn't as attention-grabbing and doesn't fit with the NJ.com narrative.
1. All non-reporting schools are private except PSU and Pitt.
2. RU has the highest cost of living and income taxes in the B1G. Maybe that should be taken into account.
2. RU has the highest cost of living and income taxes in the B1G. Maybe that should be taken into account.
Not about a living wage. Cost of living in a commutable distance to Rutgers is much different than the cost of living in a commutable distance to Nebraska. It's about the delta between your salary and the cost of living - you can make a higher salary in NJ but still have a worse delta between your salary and the cost of living.
And you live in the middle of nowhere where it generally sucks to high hell to live there. Been there and did that many times in my life. It's called chasing contentment, part of which, is living in a low cost of living area. In my experience, low cost of living areas are low cost because they are lacking in a lot of ways and have a general feeling of suckiness while living there. Some examples: North Carolina, far Western NY, Cincinnati, OH.
No. But if you have multiple offers you don't think it's a consideration? And obviously you've never been to the Research Triangle area of North Carolina.
Nope. Not based on experience. I would pick the best job for me. I have been to the Research Triangle area of NC. Not for me. YMMV. I like Jersey. Every place else has paled in comparison.
Sure, but if it's for a short term gig (which assistant coaching tends to be, as they look for other opportunities to advance), you're able to bank more of your salary for a few years before you move on to the next gig. If you're trying to compete for assistant coaching talent with teams in fly-over country, you're going to have to pay a bit more than they do to be competitive. A $1M salary has more value for someone living in Iowa than it does for someone living in NJ.
I live in Jersey, but there ARE places that don't "pale" in comparison. Boston area, where I did live a number of years, is one. Research Triangle is another.
No
Rutgers sports cost will only continue to escalate significantly in the B1G and Rutgers will have to keep paying more to "keep up with the Jones". NIL costs will also contribute.
However, Rutgers W-L football record will probably only get worse in the B1G.
With the entry of USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon (possibly FSU and Clemson) and the current B1G schools
Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State etc. I don't see Rutgers any better than a mid level B1G school at BEST (IMHO).
HAIL TO PITT!!!!
Rutgers sports cost will only continue to escalate significantly in the B1G and Rutgers will have to keep paying more to "keep up with the Jones". NIL costs will also contribute.
However, Rutgers W-L football record will probably only get worse in the B1G.
With the entry of USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon (possibly FSU and Clemson) and the current B1G schools
Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State etc. I don't see Rutgers any better than a mid level B1G school at BEST (IMHO).
HAIL TO PITT!!!!
That’s interesting to hear you say that. I guess it depends on how you’re wired. Half of NJ seems to live in NC and SC now. I think I’m more Jersey but I can see when people have their limits due to property taxes.
Schiano made Pitt his bitch.
At best? No. I can see years like 2006 where it will be better, but not every year. But the middle of those teams mean an annual bowl game. And it means substantially better than the last 10 years.
Even buying a house. My niece lives in a Raleigh suburbs. Her husband works for Fidelity and was transferred down. In a house a couple of years earlier, and paid 30-35% less than the equivalent. Much lower real estate taxes and the general cost of living. And with UNC, Duke and the Research Triangle in the area you're not dealing with a bunch of bumpkins.
No you’re not dealing with bumpkins at all. I think ultimately my strategy would be to downsize everything and stay but I also think living somewhere else could re-energize you. I would miss the whole Rutgers thing though. 28 years of season tix in football and basketball has a way of getting ingrained in your life.
I agree with you if you call them employees and not “students athletes”! The sooner we drop the pretense that what is currently going on has ANYTHING to do with academics and education, the sooner we can enjoy what is essentially a quasi-professional league. Something RU faithful won’t admit is that in this new paradigm, our ability to compete with the OSUs and PSUs and Michigan’s of the world is severely limited.
Truth hits hard…
You’re right. What we call it and how we execute it are the questions. We all complain that there is no regulation over the portal, NIL, etc. But the bottom line is that you need what the pros have: two entities coming together to negotiate an agreement with rules, cap and all the fun that comes with it. Right now if you try to change or regulate anything it’s just going to be challenged in court.
Who knows? UNC and Duke might end up in the Big 20 and you can still see Rutgers games. And although it's not Rutgers, there's some pretty good hoops and lacrosse down there. BTW, I'm staying, but I recognize that there are VERY viable alternatives.
Piss off, Panther. Hail to Shit.
I just related my experience in 3 different locales. They all sucked in different ways. People say Jersey people are not welcoming. North Carolina was shit and Cincinnati was a special kind of cold and unfriendly. This was 25-30 years ago and things may have changed, but never again for the South for us.
It's obviously generally more expensive to live in NJ. We can afford it, and we don't have a need for a bigger or nicer house. Our experience in 3 different locales was not to our liking, which is why I said those places sucked. YMMv.
Yes, but from what I understand from your posts, you live in the shore area, which is a great place to be and a magnet for people to stay in Jersey.
That is true. We lived in North Brunswick, and we loved it there. Maybe our second favorite place to live in NJ. We also lived in Berkeley Heights and Randolph (also called Mandolph!), and we liked it in those towns too.
Didn’t we go to a bowl game last year and win? How many bowls did we go to with Ash? The quest has been answered already.
PG Who pissed in your cheerios? You’re usually better than that.
We might get beat by the west coast teams, but I like our chances this year. Two new coaches out there.
I also like the fact we’re not playing Michigan, Penn st and OSU this year.
Even if we lose we’re not getting beat up. West Coast teams are not as physical as those three.
Eight wins are possible this year!
I’m sure costs will go up but, I think our win totals will too.
The players are student athletes, many receiving free room/board, stipends and other perks. Yes, the colleges and the NCAA are reaping the rewards of B1G membership but isnt that how business entities work in America? So if a lineman chooses Rutgers because of Flaherty's experience and accomplishments as a coach, they should now turn around and point at his salary and want their own payday? When was the last time you ran to your boss/higher ups (unless self employed) and demanded more salary because your boss made more off the workers under him/her?
Found this on Mike Vorkunov's Twitter home page. He is a Rutgers alum, wrote for Targum, was on WRSU, and wrote for the Star Ledger. He is with The Athletic now. This sums it up for me (and others):
Not a dig on Rutgers but a realistic assessment (IMO) on Rutgers football progress in light of economics and conference changes.
Greg (2)/Rutgers will be trying to compensate for the increased strength of schedule with reducing the OOC schedule competition (3 games). I think you are already witnessing this change (similar to Greg 1 time at Rutgers).
In the past Rutgers has played P4 teams as part of their OOC schedule. In the future less/no P4 OOC games may be scheduled. Again not a dig but reality (IMO) in the fact that Greg will want/need to win all 3 OOC games at the SHI for Rutgers to win 5 to 8 games a year.
All of the new B1G teams were Top performers in their old conference and expect to be Top performers in the B1G. Problem is the old B1G Top performers want to continue to be the Top performers in the expanded B1G. Problem is their is "No Room" for all of the Schools to be "Top Dogs" (3 schools in NCP).
Rutgers will have to compete in the new B1G.
Cost of competing in this new environment will be escalating dramatically (IMO) and no mater how much sports contracts will increase it will never seem to be enough.
This will be coupled with the reality that most colleges/universities will be facing reduced funding due to decreased numbers of students (tuition) attending college now and into the future.
We are witnessing the beginning of these student reductions and the negative financial effects they are now having on their respective schools.
For example, WVU has reduced the number of programs offered by 8% to compensate for a reduced student body. WVU students are still protesting these program reductions. Penn State is studying program reductions/closures at its 19 Branch Campuses to address financial losses now and in the future due to decreased student body. However, PSU will be spending $750 million on Beaver Stadium renovations for a Stadium which will be used 7 times a year. As more of these type of changes occur on many campuses there will be more protests (students/taxpayers/news media)about the "Increasing Cost of Sports Programs" when colleges/universities go to their State Governments begging for more funding. Luckily for Rutgers and Pitt (this year and hopefully in the future)) they have record number of students applying.
Ten years ago most people would not have believed the salaries now paid to Coaches/Staff compared to University Presidents and I see little to no end in sight for this trend not to continue until the public gets involved.
Many comments that I have made about Rutgers also apply to Pitt.
Pitt (ACC Conference) has no Sports Debt according to another chart on a different OP which I hope is accurate.
Receiving less money in the ACC and effectively managing your financial obligations (playing at Acrisure Stadium) is a positive.
I follow Rutgers football and hope you succeed now and in the future.
Just my thoghts on the subject.
HAIL TO PITT!!!!
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For the most part I agree with you.
Where I differ in opinion is one simple fact. Rutgers is the biggest winner in the conference realignment sweepstakes!
We are finally going to find out what we can do with resources (we never had)!
Money will be an issue I’m sure, but not to the extent that it was. We had a big ten schedule on a big east income.
Those were some lean times.
Now 75 million dollars per year and growing?
I think we’re going to be ok.
Greg Schiano will lose coaches by for the right reasons now ( advancements) not because other schools paid more..
Is college football on the brink? Absolutely!
Is Rutgers feeling the pinch? Absolutely not!
I am anxious to see what we can do with a quality coach, facilities and the full support of the Rutgers community.
Something we have never really had til now.
As a side Schiano has been playing one old Big East Team every year. I would think Pitt has to be in the mix for a future home and home.
Would be interesting.
So far we’re 3-0 against our old conference mates.
After further evaluation, you may continue shitting in your hat.
If you think Pitt athletics runs debt free I got a bridge to sell you. I suggest you check out the Stair report. For FY 2023 the Athletics department spent $117,120,762 while only having $80,148,582 in revenue. So Pitt athletics lost $36,972,180. That is almost $37 million that students and tax payers are left with paying for. It not a one year fluke wither. For FY 2022 Athletics spent $115,114,574 with $73,340,412 in revenue leaving a short fall of $41,774,162. So in two years Pitt Athletics has lost $78.7 million and you come on here talking about effectively managing your financial obligations. You know why on the other chart Pitt showed no athletic debt? It because since Pitt and PSU are quasi public schools they are not required to disclose that information.
You talk about spending $750 million on a stadium that had 850,000 people in attendance and generates millions in ticket sales while mention nothing about spending $250 million for a volleyball and wrestling arena for teams that had a combined total attendance of 59,985.
I use to agree with you but things have gotten out of hand. The greed of conferences, coaches and administrators now has me siding with the players. For one unlike my job my direct supervisor is not making 20 times what I make. Even if you count the entire value of the scholarship ect it at most $60k-75k but their direct supervisor (position coach) is making $1 million+. You even have part time consultants (IE quality control guys) making 4-5 times what the players are making. You won't see this income inequity is far more than what you see in typical employment. Secondly you the NCAA has created a monopoly and unlike my job they just can't leave to make more pay. If you were a ER nurse for example it would be equivalent of all the hospitals getting together and agreeing that nurses should have pay cap at $10 an hour for ER nurses. Finally my job doesn't put my short term or long term health at risk. Would you tell a guy like Eric LeGrand that even though he will never walk again it perfectly ok for coaches to make millions while players like him get peanuts. That they should just shut up and let coaches and administrators make millions.
Pitt/UPMC manages its financial obligations wisely and contributes to Research Facilities and the UPMC Hospital Network that have significant ROI.
Penn State can invest $750 million in a stadium that will be used 7 times a year. PSU is facing significant financial problems at many of their 19 Branch Campuses and may have to start cutting programs/branches now and in the future due to student body declines.
They are pleading with the PA Gov (won't happen) to increase funding this year to help in this situation. The State knows if they increase funding for them Pitt and Temple will expect the same.
The fact of the matter is that Penn State is 3 times larger than Pitt.
However, Pitt is a Research Powerhouse as demonstrated by the fact that they can attract $1.16 Billion per year in Research Grants (Top 5 university in NIH funding). Facilities have to be in place to win outside funding contracts.
Pitt's research prowess is recognized by the fact that US News Global University ranking (2024) has Pitt ranked #45 and Penn State ranked #84.
For a mid sized state related university Pitt has many supporters as demonstrated by the fact that Pitt has a $5.5 Billion Endowment.
HAIL TO PITT!!!!
Not sure your point is sound. Here is why. The "direct supervisor" of an experienced employee is irrelevant.
Let's look at a major corporation and compare to a college football team. In major corporations, a recent study found:
"The Institute for Policy Studies analyzed 100 S&P 500 corporations with the lowest median worker pay levels in 2022 and found that CEO pay in this sample averaged $15.3 million, while median worker pay averaged $31,672. The average CEO-to-worker pay ratio in this group was 603 to 1."
Really don't see the analogy here. Let's take HC Schiano's pay at $6.25 Million vs. the "60k-75k" example you gave, and to keep it simple, let's make that $62,500. That's a ratio of 100:1.
Let's take a coordinator- KC- think his salary is $1.4M. That's a ratio of 22.4: 1.
I do not address your monopoly point. Maybe @retired711 will take a crack at it.
As to your "Finally" point, here are two examples. Roofing is a dangerous field of work. Entry level roofing works make about $30K per year. A company owner is likely making $300K per year. That is a ratio of 10:1.
And we could look at the entertainment industry. Stunt men and women make a tiny fraction of what the top-billed stars make, and the stunt men and women work is dangerous. Entry level pay is about $50K per year.
In almost every field, people have to "work their way up" the ladder to higher pay. I cannot think of a profession where people just starting in a profession make as much as the executive level managers and the VPs of the organization. Perhaps at law firms, but there is often a ratio of 10-25 to one for partners to associate compensation.
