Details of Otzelberger’s contract released

UNLV Rebels head coach T.J. Otzelberger instructs the team in the first half of a college basketball game against the Cincinnati Bearcats, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.

When T.J. Otzelberger was introduced as Iowa State’s new head men’s basketball coach earlier this year, Jamie Pollard made it clear the compensation structure would be somewhat creative.

We learned the details of that creativity on Monday.

Otzelberger will be paid roughly $1 million per year before incentives tied to performance totaling $450,000 and additional supplemental benefits worth $500,000 annually during his five-year deal, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The contract calls for Otzelberger’s base salary to be $300,000 annually plus $700,000 for speaking engagements, public appearances and media obligations. The aforementioned supplemental benefits include contributions to Otzelberger’s retirement plan.

Incentives in the contract include a bonus for being one of the top-four seeds in the Big 12 Tournament with earning the No. 1 seed netting him $250,000. Winning the conference tournament gets him $100,000 while an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament results in a $50,000 bonus plus $50,000 for each win during the tournament.

Iowa State paid $3.4 million to buy out Otzelberger’s contract with UNLV, where he was earning $1.2 million per season.

According to the USA Today’s college basketball coaches salaries database, Otzelberger will be the lowest paid coach in the Big 12 and among the lowest-paid in the entire Power 5.