If Billy does get that kind of money, I can tell you there will be a lot of people upset about it in the UK community. Even though the two may not be related, tuition prices are rising by 10-12% a year and a lot of people involved with the university could care less about basketball. It's just ridiculous that a basketball coach at UK could make 40 to 50 times the money that a tenured professor makes.

 

UK's mission to be a top 20 university by 2020 doesn't have anything to do with the AP or Coaches poll........

 

Apples and oranges.

 

You know that the bulk of a coaches money doesn't come from the school itself. If I'm not badly mistaken only $280,000 or so of Tubby 2.2 million came from UK. The rest was from guaranteed endorsements and radio and TV shows.

I understand the economist answer. UK basketball pays the bills for the rest of the athletic department.

 

But look at the flip side. A rising tide lifts all boats, and the market price of ALL coaches will rise when one of them is paid north of 4 Million a year. And the vast majority of athletic departments are running in the red.

 

The NCAA President thinks it's a concern, and he obviously is pretty focused on athletics. How do you think all those English Lit professors feel about it?

Well just to throw out a comparison, if I'm a prof. at a university and I make 70K for instance, and the head BB coach makes 2.5 mil per. What is the difference personally if he makes 4 mil per? Frankly, if UK or any other university for that matter were to hire Wireman as HC for instance and pay him 150K per season instead of Billy D. at 4 mil per season, the prof. isn't getting an increase in salary regardless unless it is merited by some other methodology. They are in essence 2 different beasts, IMO. To think that the HC salary is somehow connected to the English Lit. Prof salary is silly. That logic would assume that if we cut the salary of the next coach that the remainder would be divided among all UK employees.

Apples and oranges.

 

You know that the bulk of a coaches money doesn't come from the school itself. If I'm not badly mistaken only $280,000 or so of Tubby 2.2 million came from UK. The rest was from guaranteed endorsements and radio and TV shows.

 

Yes but the image on the school looks terrible to the public and prospective students.....

Well just to throw out a comparison, if I'm a prof. at a university and I make 70K for instance, and the head BB coach makes 2.5 mil per. What is the difference personally if he makes 4 mil per? Frankly, if UK or any other university for that matter were to hire Wireman as HC for instance and pay him 150K per season instead of Billy D. at 4 mil per season, the prof. isn't getting an increase in salary regardless unless it is merited by some other methodology. They are in essence 2 different beasts, IMO. To think that the HC salary is somehow connected to the English Lit. Prof salary is silly. That logic would assume that if we cut the salary of the next coach that the remainder would be divided among all UK employees.

I agree that LOGICALLY it doesn't follow, but if logic were strictly applied, then universities would drop athletics back to a high school level of emphasis and concentrate more of their energies on an educational mission.

 

It's a question of perception and it's a question of priorities. I think that a 4 Million dollar salary for the coach of a game at a University is going to give the wrong answer to the public for those questions.

Yes but the image on the school looks terrible to the public and prospective students.....

 

I'm sorry I just don't see it that way, and I have family going to school there. UK is a business, and it is economically important to have a winning program. Both from a student recruiting stand point and a booster contribution standpoint.

I agree that LOGICALLY it doesn't follow, but if logic were strictly applied, then universities would drop athletics back to a high school level of emphasis and concentrate more of their energies on an educational mission.

 

It's a question of perception and it's a question of priorities. I think that a 4 Million dollar salary for the coach of a game at a University is going to give the wrong answer to the public for those questions.

Well, I don't know that I agree with that either, seems that we are doing a fine job educating our folks, I don't see a public outcry for an overhaul in our education system, in higher education at least. The education of students (including athletes) and athletic endeavors have coexisted for some time now and I don't see that changing simply by increasing the salary of a coach. I'd also argue that coaches often spend more time with students (athletes) than do most professors and are obviously more highly scrutinized for their performance. I'd guess that most English Lit. profs wouldn't want their salaries dependent upon the performance of their students.

UK would pay Donovan $4 million in a heartbeat, IMO.

Well, I don't know that I agree with that either, seems that we are doing a fine job educating our folks, I don't see a public outcry for an overhaul in our education system, in higher education at least. The education of students (including athletes) and athletic endeavors have coexisted for some time now and I don't see that changing simply by increasing the salary of a coach. I'd also argue that coaches often spend more time with students (athletes) than do most professors and are obviously more highly scrutinized for their performance. I'd guess that most English Lit. profs wouldn't want their salaries dependent upon the performance of their students.

There's already a national discussion about the pay of coaches.

This story ran Thursday:

ATLANTA (AP) -- NCAA president Myles Brand expressed concern Thursday about runaway coaching salaries, but said it was up to individual schools and universities to police themselves when it comes to new hires.

"The NCAA can't do anything about it," Brand said at his annual Final Four news conference. "We don't make the hires or set the budgets of the institutions."

 

Brand, though, said he thinks university presidents have to take a look at the escalating salaries. They reached new levels with the eight-year, $32 million contract Nick Saban signed to coach the Alabama football team, and there is speculation at the Final Four that Florida coach Billy Donovan could leave for Kentucky for a similarly priced deal.

 

"I think we have to begin asking some very hard questions," Brand said. "It raises the question of propriety for colleges and universities. Is this the appropriate thing to do within the context of college sports?"

 

Brand, who has previously questioned both salaries and the increasing "arms race" of schools building athletic facilities, was forced to defend the organization's tax-exempt status to a congressman last year in light of the heavy spending on athletics.

 

But he said the NCAA has no ability to regulate salaries, and plays only a limited role in how its schools finance athletics. Still, he said, it was troubling to see some college coaches making more money than their counterparts in the pros.

And here's another article that mentions the issue in relation to another problem:

 

Maxwell Blecher, one of the attorneys for the players, disagrees: "There is no cognizable justification for the GIA cap. It is plainly and simply an attempt to save money. They pay the coaches $1 million and $2 million and more in some cases, but they won't let the athletes break even."

 

Blecher and the players have a powerful position. NCAA president Myles Brand has admitted that the restriction on scholarship money should be lifted. In a letter to the Denver Post on Aug. 17, 2003, Brand said, "Ideally, the value of an athletically related scholarship would be increased to cover the full cost of attendance ... I favor this approach of providing the full cost of attendance."

 

The NCAA's reliance on the protection of amateurism is a familiar riff. Walter Byers, the former executive director of the NCAA, dismissed it: "Collegiate amateurism is not a moral issue. It is an economic camouflage for monopoly practice."

It is very absurd money wise.

However, it is not as absurd for an athletic program that is self-sufficeint and dontes money to the school. I believe the athletic department at UK donated some nice change for scholarships and a payment for the school library.

Is it anymore absurd to pay a coach 4 million dollars and also produce a 30 million dollar practice facility?

It is crazy.

However, I am speaking from a biased perspective, how much of thsi money comes from boosters and advertising dollars.

The UK boosters can go toe to toe with any institiution in America in regards to raising money and donating money. There is a whole lot of old money that has not even been tapped.

BTW, the UKAA and the President have rubber stamped any deal for Donovan.

It is very absurd money wise.

However, it is not as absurd for an athletic program that is self-sufficeint and dontes money to the school. I believe the athletic department at UK donated some nice change for scholarships and a payment for the school library.

Is it anymore absurd to pay a coach 4 million dollars and also produce a 30 million dollar practice facility?

It is crazy.

However, I am speaking from a biased perspective, how much of thsi money comes from boosters and advertising dollars.

The UK boosters can go toe to toe with any institiution in America in regards to raising money and donating money. There is a whole lot of old money that has not even been tapped.

BTW, the UKAA and the President have rubber stamped any deal for Donovan.

And then what are the concerns?

 

I think you then take a group of boosters that already feel very entitled, and let them feel like the coach is answerable to them. They're footing the bill in a very direct way in that situation.

True.

However, that is the fine line in which any institution treads.

That is why it takes a real ego driven person to succeed in that job. One who has charisma and one who will stand up.

Pitino was excellent with this at UK. He could do both without getting run over.

Tubby was never comfortable with that. He hated dealing with the press. He was fantastic one and one, but really hated the limelight.

Can Donovan do something for those people? Speeches and advertising? Sure. But BD would have the testicular fortitude to say no.

 

What people are missing in much of this whole Donovan chase is the ego factor. I am not saying UK will get him, but he is the best choice because of the similar qualities he possesses to Pitino.

Money may not be the be all end all, but I certainly feel ego plays a role in all of this.

No coach is worth $4 million

AMEN.

There's already a national discussion about the pay of coaches.

This story ran Thursday:

I don't disagree with the idea that coaches salaries are too high. However it's no business of Mr. Brands the proportion of salaries of coaches vs any other employee of the university. The "athletic association" is just that, no more. His opinion holds no more weight than ours IMO.

I only see a problem with high coaching salaries once they interject the dollars that cost the kids and families paying tuition. At UK, absolutely zero money will come from state funds, tuition, etc. It's UKAA and private money. Remember UK has a LARGE Alumni base all across the U.S. and a lot of big whigs who give a lot of cabbage to the Athletics. If you can afford it, I have no problem.