Former assistants still costing us big bucks

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MontyBurns

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Jan 27, 2008
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Article from the CR Gazette:

ISU still paying big bucks to old staff | GazetteOnline.com - Cedar Rapids, Iowa City

Our total liability is huge. The biggest are these two guys:

Bolt - $257,500/year
McFarland - $283,250/year

If they don't get other jobs we have to pay them these salaries until June 2010. If they do get other jobs that pay less, we have to make up the difference. Bolt, by the way, is an assistant at Auburn -- for $90k/year. Which means we are paying 65% of his salary for the next two years. McFarland is probably taking a 2 year vacation on our dime.
 
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IcSyU

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Nov 27, 2007
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Not sure how that would change the situation. That donor money would be better served in other areas of the athletic department.

Because if a donor is really unhappy, they'll pay to get that off the books when they normally wouldn't have given the money. It's essentially the same principle as paying a buyout on a coach when you fire them.
 

hursts

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Apr 10, 2006
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So basically Chizik cost ISU $50,000 by taking off to Auburn. Thanks for nothing Chizzlestick. (800,000 cost of buyout of coaches - 750,000 from Auburn= 50,000).
 

CyAg

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May 22, 2006
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Also hate to see the extra money, but what is fair is fair.

1. We have to be competitive with our assistant contracts or we will not get good assistants. If most other schools have similar buyout terms or provisions in assistant contracts, we have to do the same. If the terms are out of line in comparison, then this needs to be fixed and there is reason to be upset

2. Whats fair is fair. Most of these coaches got stiffed by Chiz as well and we have to do what is right and honor and pay the contracts. May not seem popular, but 95% of us we were in their position would expect to have our agreement fulfilled.

3. Like them or dislike them, these coaches had made a commitment to ISU and were not the ones who bailed. We should not bail on them just like any player who gives their best.

Just my opinion,
 
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Bobber

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Apr 12, 2006
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Also hate to see the extra money, but what is fair is fair.

1. We have to be competitive with our assistant contracts or we will not get good assistants. If most other schools have similar buyout terms or provisions in assistant contracts, we have to do the same. If the terms are out of line in comparison, then this needs to be fixed and there is reason to be upset

2. Whats fair is fair. Most of these coaches got stiffed by Chiz as well and we have to do what is right and honor and pay the contracts. May not seem popular, but 95% of us we were in their position would expect to have our agreement fulfilled.

3. Like them or dislike them, these coaches had made a commitment to ISU and were not the ones who bailed. We should not bail on them just like any player who gives their best.

Just my opinion,

Good post. Spot on!
 

MontyBurns

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Jan 27, 2008
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So basically Chizik cost ISU $50,000 by taking off to Auburn. Thanks for nothing Chizzlestick. (800,000 cost of buyout of coaches - 750,000 from Auburn= 50,000).

Actually it's more than that:

In all, ISU must pay four out-of-work coaches and strength and conditioning coach Ken Sheppard upward of $800,000, money to Bolt and whatever the difference in salary, if any, to Rodgers and Koonz.

800k to the out of work coaches and Sheppard
334k for 2 years to Bolt
unknown amount to Rodgers and Koonz
plus the cost of the coaching search (which was six figures, as I recall)

All in all, the 750k we got from Auburn probably covered about half of the cost of the coaching change.
 
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ISUAlum2002

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Apr 11, 2006
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Also hate to see the extra money, but what is fair is fair.

1. We have to be competitive with our assistant contracts or we will not get good assistants. If most other schools have similar buyout terms or provisions in assistant contracts, we have to do the same. If the terms are out of line in comparison, then this needs to be fixed and there is reason to be upset

2. Whats fair is fair. Most of these coaches got stiffed by Chiz as well and we have to do what is right and honor and pay the contracts. May not seem popular, but 95% of us we were in their position would expect to have our agreement fulfilled.

3. Like them or dislike them, these coaches had made a commitment to ISU and were not the ones who bailed. We should not bail on them just like any player who gives their best.

Just my opinion,

I begrudgingly agree.......but it doesn't make it suck any less. :wink:
 

JDDCy

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Jul 1, 2006
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Do we actually owe Rogers and Koonz anything? I would think being a position coach in the NFL pays at least as well as what Rogers made at ISU. I'm not sure of Koonz's role at Texas but his salary was one of the lowest on the staff here.

Another area I think we are saving on is Rhoads salary vs. GC's. I believe Geno was making more than what Rhoads is going to make this year.

Hopefully MacFarland gets off his rear and finds a job somewhere. His salary is the killer. Shouldn't we make him do something at the university if we are still paying him? Wash dishes, park cars, pick-up trash, etc.:confused:
 

CyForPresident

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Mar 28, 2006
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Hopefully MacFarland gets off his rear and finds a job somewhere. His salary is the killer. Shouldn't we make him do something at the university if we are still paying him? Wash dishes, park cars, pick-up trash, etc.

I gotta say it, good for Robert McFarland. He got **** on worse than anybody and he has earned the right to do nothing and get paid. If I were him, I'd move to Arizona and play golf all day.
 

GrimesCy

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Oct 25, 2008
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Its time for the big dog Albaugh to step up to the plate and make us a contender....money,donations=facility upgrades=big time recruits=wins

cot man
 

JDDCy

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Jul 1, 2006
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CyforPresident, I guess I don't consider getting paid $283,000/year getting screwed over. Especially when he was the guy responsible for some terrible play calling on the goal line, horrible red zone performance and the inability to get plays in on time to avoid delay of game penalties.
 

CYKOFAN

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Mar 27, 2006
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JP got taken to the cleaners by Chiz, but after watching him coach the last couple of years I'm just glad he's gone. I don't see why anybody would think Bolt and McFarland were great hires, and certainly not worth the kind of money and guarantees they got. Actually with the recently revealed details of GMac's contract, JP also got taken to the cleaners by him. I also don't understand why we have to pay PR so much since he's an unproven first year head coach, and apparently has been seeking the job going back several years. I'm excited about the hire, but wouldn't PR have jumped at 7-800,000 a year plus some good incentives? We could always give him a bonus and extension based on good progress.
 

Bobber

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JP got taken to the cleaners by Chiz, but after watching him coach the last couple of years I'm just glad he's gone. I don't see why anybody would think Bolt and McFarland were great hires, and certainly not worth the kind of money and guarantees they got. Actually with the recently revealed details of GMac's contract, JP also got taken to the cleaners by him. I also don't understand why we have to pay PR so much since he's an unproven first year head coach, and apparently has been seeking the job going back several years. I'm excited about the hire, but wouldn't PR have jumped at 7-800,000 a year plus some good incentives? We could always give him a bonus and extension based on good progress.

Well why not $500,000 while we're dreaming? Paul right now is I think the 11th lowest paid the coach in the Big 12(and he's not the only newbie).

You need to pay a market rate if you're going to get any quality for a coach. I'd argue we'll be getting more bang for our buck then most of the rest of the Big 12(I know that's a stretch...)
 

woodie

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Apr 10, 2006
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chuck long who got fired from san diego state is getting paid 700,000 a year to sit on his duff.
 

CYKOFAN

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Mar 27, 2006
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Pretty sad when $800,000 per year plus incentives for an unproven first year coach is dreaming. While I'm hoping we found a diamond in the rough, PR was not a hot commodity and basically sought the job at ISU. I imagine $800K per year plus incentives would easily triple his former salary. And what's wrong with trying to bring back a little sanity to coaching salaries? Right now ISU probably should be the lowest paying job in the Big 12 until we have a proven head coach, which I hope PR will be in the next few years, then pay him the real big bucks.