UA Expansion & Petrino's 7-Yr Contract Extension

Expansion... and Petrino's New 7-Year Contract Extension?

Yes, they are linked - just how much can only be speculated upon at this time.  The season isn't over;  and the details not done.  One thing is certain though - the timetable was moved up considerably (and likely expanded as well) upon Petrino's arrival at Arkansas.

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November 30, 2010  From various sources:

It has been estimated that the Razorback Football Center will take 18 months to complete;  from which I expressed hope that this meant in time for the 2012 season opener. 

Today, Arkansas Business reported that the 80,000-square foot football operations facility "could be completed as early as January 2013, which would begin the final year of Petrino’s initial deal with Arkansas."

This was stated relative to a strategy by both sides - Petrino and the University - towards winning big with each other over the long haul.  Speculation is that Arkansas' commitment to the massive project is a step in the right direction towards a renegotiation of Petrino's contract. 

Don’t be surprised if both sides soon agree to a commitment beyond the original deal.  Floating around out there is the idea of a seven-year extension, a hefty buyout on both sides, and a raise of some say a million dollars per year.

Petrino now earns $2.85 million/year.  Without researching coaching salaries, I did read that Mack Brown gets $5.1million and Les Miles makes more than Petrino.  I am a part of the consensus around the internet today that says, "Pay the Man!".  At worst, he's the third best coach in the SEC on most anybody's list.  And tops on mine.

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[Aside:  I was about to press the "Post" button to post this on the University of Arkansas Football Center Plans thread, when realizing this is too important to be buried over there!]

To put this in better perspective, here is how SEC coaching salaries ranked, as of July 2010. 

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Compensation usually involves a base salary plus "other compensation" - which includes all guaranteed amounts from sources such as radio/TV shows; shoe, apparel and other endorsement rights; camps (if included in contract); public relations, and personal services fees; retention bonuses; and deferred compensation.

Bobby Petrino ranked 5th behind Nick Saban ($4.2 million), Urban Meyer ($4.1 million), Les Miles ($3.9 million), and Mark Richt ($3.4 million).

Behind Petrino are Houston Nutt ($2.7 million), Steve Spurrier ($2.2 million), Gene Chizik ($2.2 million), Derek Dooley ($1.8 million), Joker Phillips ($1.75 million), and Dan Mullen ($1.3 million).  Vanderbilt's former coach Bobby Johnson was earning $1.15 million / year before resigning.  Of these coaches, one would expect sizeable raises for Spurrier, Chizik, and Mullen - in addition to Petrino - at season's end.

Coach P certainly deserves a raise with what he has done with our program in just 3 years.  I cant believe Nutt is getting paid so much.  I would expect Chizik to get a hefty pay raise even though next year I believe they will be back to a middle of the pack SEC team.  Spurrier is definately due one getting his team some where they have never been before especially if they win the SECCG (Lord forbid!).  Coach Mullen deserves one too with what he has done for Miss St though I have heard rumors of other coaching jobs seeking his coaching ability, and one of those being Miami.  Will be interesting to see if he will stay where he is or take an offer that could possibly pay more than what Miss St will offer him.

Pay him! We need to lock him down now to a deal he won't get elsewhere. I too have heard the rumors that some schools are shopping for Petrino's services. We should offer him 4+ million a year IMO. Especially if we go to the Sugar Bowl and win.  This would make it very hard for other programs to try and entice him away.

It's good to see such a stir in Razorback football. New facilities, stadium expansion, a new coach, a 10 win season and possible BCS birth; all these point towards a rising program.

I think we need to pay the man, too.  I do not think, however, that money is the be-all end-all to where and who Petrino coaches.  He was making more at the NFL than when he came to Arkansas.  If it was only money, he could have stayed there a couple of years and let those prima donnas coach themselves then come back to the college level when a good job presented itself.  We know it was his desire to coach in the SEC before he went to Atlanta, and he may never have made the move if there was a good SEC job available at the time.  I do believe, however, that he should definitely NOT be fifth on the coaches' money list, as he has proven himself on the same level (IMO) as Saban (who I think is the SEC coaching yardstick).  Meyer hasn't showed me he could coach without a decent quarterback (and he apparently had not recruited one or got one ready for this year), and Les Miles is, well, Les Miles.  The Ol Ball Coach hasn't shown he can get the players he needs (although he is underpaid), and Richt, well, the jury's still out on him.  I don't believe that $4M would be out of line for Petrino.  I think he likes the State and where he lives, and I believe that that kind of money would lock him in to the very long term.  Besides, he has spent three years building a championship team that reloads instead of rebuilds year after year.  I can't imagine that he would give that up.  The question the PTB are probably asking themselves is whether or not, with all the new building plans in the works, they can afford to give him that kind of money.  I say they can't afford not to.

It seems to me that Petrino is very happy at Arkansas and he probably wants to be here for a long time. I don't think he is as much concerned about money as being at a job where he and his family are happy and the people love and respect him (He did take a big pay cut to come to Arkansas, and he has donated some of his money back to the University). But I do believe he deserves to be making as much money as the other top coaches in the SEC.

I agree that it must not be all about money, but certainly ya'll have it right that he's worth more than he's being paid right now.

My thought, though, is just look at some of the threads here on our board... Guys who are reasonable backers of the Hogs go apes**t over a few bad calls in some losses and are calling for a coach's head. Never forget that Lou Holtz was at the time the winningest coach (by percentage) the Hogs ever had, and the state (and Frank Broyles) turned on him because he had a down (but winning) season his last year at Arkansas. Sometimes fans (and a situation) can turn bad, get carried away, and wind up running off an excellent coach. I am not saying it will happen now, after all, Frank Broyles is no longer in charge, but we can't tell where the ball will bounce or roll. We have some of the most demanding and expecting fans around, and I just hope we don't lose sight of the greater goal of year-in, year-out competitiveness even if we don't win it all every year. The point being, when the realistic possibility of winning championships is floated about, the not winning them becomes a sin. That can be very detrimental to keeping an otherwise excellent coach.

At any rate, I hope we keep Coach Petrino and we win some National Championships along the way.

Go Hogs Go!

Reiterating, I too say "Pay the Man" in the 4-mil range, but agree that Petrino isn't all about the money.

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While on the subject though, it's interesting to note how much 'green' is at stake for achieving both on and off field.

On-the-Field / Athletic Incentives:   Let's start with today's SECCG outcome that doesn't even include the Hogs.  If Auburn wins, Arkansas' resulting appearance in what's called a "non-title BCS bowl" (Sugar) nets him an additional $25,000 over the $50,000 that comes his way for appearing in either Capital One, Outback, or Chick-fil-A bowls.

The only other significant incentives UNavailable this year are $50,000 for winning/tying for West title, $75,000 for winning SECCG, $100,000 for BCS title appearance, and $200,000 for BCS title victory.  Since these incentives are "non-accumulative", the most Petrino can earn in one season is $250,000 for winning the national championship.

Petrino wasn’t even the highest-earner of incentive bonuses in 2009-10 - receiving $25,000 for the Liberty Bowl appearance with no additional for winning it.  That distinction went to baseball coach Dave Van Horn, who received $27,751 for advancing to the NCAA Regional and Super Regional tournaments.

Off-the-Field / Academic Incentives:   Last season, Petrino also received $50,000 in academic achievement incentives - twice that of athletic.  (Bet that surprises everybody!)   Were Petrino to hit all the marks here, he could earn as much as $200,000.

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A couple articles by Chris Bahn over on arkansassports.com discuss Arkansas bonus incentives for Petrino in particular and the program overall -

• Auburn Loss Would Be Costly To Razorbacks, Petrino
• Incentives Just Part of the Game for Modern Coaches

Primary Terms of Petrino's New Contract

Arkansas' new agreement with Bobby Petrino extends through Dec. 31, 2017.  It is worth $3.56 million annually and includes a non-compete clause with the entire Southeastern Conference, rather than just the SEC West as before.  Also included is a mutual buyout of $18 million for each of the next two seasons, over $10 million afterward through 2015, and down to $3.925 million in 2017.

The deal makes Petrino the 8th highest paid coach nationally and third in the SEC.

Quoting AD Long:
“This new long-term agreement is beneficial to our program now and will continue to strengthen our program over time,” Long said. “Coach Petrino has stabilized and elevated the success of our program.  The mirror image buyout provisions included in the terms of the agreement reflect both parties’ serious
commitment to each other and to the long-term success of Razorback Football. That will help our ongoing fundraising efforts and send a clear message to prospective football student-athletes about the bright future of our program.”

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What's not included above is the increased compensation to his assistant coaches, which Petrino is said to have insisted upon discussing before his own deal.  My bet is that he backed off a little on his own final negotiated salary in order to beef up his assistants annual salaries.  So, the often-discussed $4 million figure bantered about of late is probably about right when factoring in these other raises.  As in, okay, here's 4MIL to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Considering that Auburn's Gus Malzahn just got a bigger raise than Bobby Petrino , I just hope that Coach is as pleased with his deal as we all are;  and that Arkansas didn't play hardball with him during the negotiations.  At the rate these coaching salaries are inflating, and the fact that Petrino's annual salary is fixed through 2017 (7 more years!), it makes you wonder just how long such a deal will really last. 

Malzahn was making $500,000 under his old contract.  His new multi-year deal is said to be in the $1.3 million neighborhood ~ or an $800,000 raise.  While Petrino's previous salary of $2.85 million was escalated to $3.56 million ~ a raise of $710,000.

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While at it -

Earlier I had read - and then said in an above comment - that Petrino's salary makes him the 3rd highest in the SEC.  Comparing with July 2010 numbers, that's wrong - with his upped salary now 4th behind Nick Saban ($4.2 million), Urban Meyer ($4.1 million), and Les Miles ($3.9 million). 

Will Muschamp's $2.7 million Florida deal apparently ties him with Houston Nutt (both at 6th in the conference) - right behind Mark Richt ($3.4 million).

There is no doubt that Gene Chizik, Steve Spurrier, and Dan Mullen are all in line for raises over the next few weeks as well.  Their current salaries are also listed a few posts above this one.

I just retrieved a 3-part series I had read some months ago over on hogdb.com. entitled "Petrino Understood".  It's about Petrino's coaching journey to Arkansas (including all kinds of great links) and suggests he is indeed sold on the fact that this position can ultimately fulfill his career expectations. 

I believe this is information we all should be aware of right now, at a time when things seem to be taking shape towards that end.  Below are seperate links to each part of the series, preceded by a summary quote by the author.

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This is a three part series written shortly after Bobby Petrino became Arkansas’s Head Coach. Things have settled and we need to catch up on the history now to help us with Arkansas' future.

Petrino Understood — Part I
SharpTusk, February 15th, 2010
The less people know about Coach Petrino, the more they’ll tend to worry about him leaving.

Petrino Understood – A Long Road But Further To Go
SharpTusk, February 24th, 2010
Was the harsh criticism fair... Hog Fans need realistic expectations of how Coach Petrino may act in the future?

Petrino Understood — Making the Summit at Arkansas
SharpTusk, February 26th, 2010
No university has ever raided an Arkansas Football Head Coach... the list of places where Petrino could go is short.

I read those posts and, although it took a bit of deciphering, SharpTusk's research and timeline shows that maybe Petrino came here with the intent of staying from the start.

I also looked at some of his more recent stuff and he really shows a lot of evidence for Petrino having "arrived." Certainly, if the allure of the "Big Time" supposedly to be had at Florida was what the vagabond coach wanted, then no amount of money from the hinterlands in Arkansas would hold him. As SharpTusk's posts show, Coach Petrino sought us out, and he had turned down both (1) larger amounts of money in the past, and (2) took pay cuts multiple times in order to get to a better situation. So, if Fayetteville and the Hogs were merely a stepping stone, upping his pay wouldn't hold him here if the situation he wanted was elsewhere. I think this bodes well for the Razorbacks and us Razorbackers.

I especially liked the part in the article Petrino's Battle For Arkansas where Darek Braunecker, a Major League Baseball sports agent who was a go-between, says of Coach Petrino:

"This guy really seriously wants this job. I think that’s the hardest thing for the University to grasp… that Bobby Petrino really wants this job and still I think that the fan base right now feels that way, you know, I mean there’s so many people in discussions I’ve had with them think that Bobby Petrino is here to re-establish himself and then move on. I think just the opposite. I absolutely don’t believe that’s the case. I believe he’s here to build a nationally prominent program for an extended period of time. He recognizes he can leave here in a legendary state (emphasis mine) sometime and probably via retirement."

This is absolutely great news, and coupled with the actions of the past few days, gives me that warm fuzzy that maybe we (the Hog fans) have the situation we want going forward.

 

Go Hogs Go!

This is absolutely great news, and coupled with the actions of the past few days, gives me that warm fuzzy that maybe we (the Hog fans) have the situation we want going forward.

I will admit I was nervous when the Florida job came open, but I still thought then and think now:
 
*Petrino doesn't need to go somewhere else to win. In 3 years, he took a totally depleted team and took them to 10-2 and a trip to the Sugar Bowl.
 
*He can recruit at Arkansas. And if you are only going by Rivals Rankings, just think that Childs was only a 3 star recruit, but ended up best receiver, over two 4 stars in Jarius Wright and Joe Adams.
 
*He has a great relationship with Jeff Long. Petrino said he needed things to compete, such as facility improvements, and it has happened.
 
*He has proven his system works in the SEC, despite the doubters. He gets recruits, he has been in the lead in the 4th quarter in every game this year, and believes the success can continue at Arkansas.
 
*If he goes 9-3 or 8-4 in two consecutive years at Florida or another top 5 program, the fans will hate him. Just look at how Georgia treated Richt this year after all the success Richt has had. Arkansas fans aren't going to crucify him for going 8-4 some years.

Arkansas Recommends Raises For Assistants

Through a Freedom of Information request, Arkansas News Bureau pulled up these details of potential raises for Petrino's assistant coaches.  The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees is expected to approve a combined package estimated to be $190,000 for the nine assistants - or from the current $2.025 million to $2.215 million.

The raises drew this comment from the recipient of the largest increase, Garrett McGee, "I think as an assistant coach it means if we continue to do our job at a high level we can probably stay here for a while. And also it means if you’re not doing your job at a high level he’ll get rid of you at some point .” 

That's telling it like it is.  I love this kind of candor.  You gotta believe this staff is buying into Coach Petrino's all-business approach.

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                                  Before       After             Raise
Willy Robinson        $350,000    $375,000        $25,000
Garrick McGee        $300,000    $336,000        $36,000
Chris Klenakis         $225,000    $243,000        $18,000
John L. Smith           $210,000    $235,000        $25,000
Steve Caldwell        $210,000    $235,000        $25,000
Bobby Allen             $190,000    $212,800        $22,800
Kris Cinkovich          $185,000    $199,800        $14,800
Tim Horton               $185,000    $195,000        $10,000
Reggie Johnson       $170,000    $183,600        $13,600

Now that all the coaches raises are set, pending a January vote of the Board of Trustees, we can finally sort out the entire football salaries package.  For impact, decided to add all those missing zeros that most sources conveniently omit.  It turns out that the million buck increase most of us felt was reasonable is pretty close to reality, when factoring in the assistants.  Kind of interesting the combined salary increase for all ten is the very round number of $900,000.

                                 Before           After           Raise           %increase
Bobby Petrino        $2,850,000    $3,560,000    $710,000        20%
9 Asst Coaches    $2,025,000     $2,215,000    $190,000        8.6%
Combined Total      $4,875,000    $5,775,000    $900,000        15.6%

I had earlier speculated that Petrino's assistant coaches would also see proportionate raises on the coat-tails of the HC.  This turned out not be true - as Petrino's increase is 20%, while his combined assistants' increase is just under 9%.  But I still believe he was willing to back off a little on his own final negotiated salary in order to beef up his assistants annual salaries.    

Judging from the random staff increases (above post), it seems assistant raises were as much an effort to adjust relative parity among them than the actual raises themselves.  They all got raises, sure - but the final annual salary was the target number in an effort to assure they all felt fairness relative to each other.

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While I like numbers, I'm no accountant;  so feel free to disagree with or add to my take.

There is no doubt that Gene Chizik, Steve Spurrier, and Dan Mullen are all in line for raises...

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MSU Expansion & Mullen's 4-Yr Contract Extension

Of the three remaining SEC coaches in line for raises, Mississippi State's Dan Mullen just got his - a four-year package that guarantees him $2.65 million annually.  At first, I couldn't understand why MSU wouldn't pony up an additional $50,001, in order to make him higher paid than in-state rival Ole Miss' Houston Nutt.  Then I read Chris Low's comment that Nuttjob actually earned $2,509,000 this season;  so turns out Mullen's salary bumped him out of the sixth highest SEC salary spot after all.  That tells me these Bulldogs are set on becoming a player in the SEC West.
 
Still, next to Petrino's deal, it's almost amateurish, with only a $1.4 million buyout and apparently no non-compete involving other SEC schools.  That said, it IS over twice this season's base salary of $1.3 million OR a raise of $1,350,000.  Remember Petrino's raise is $710,000.

Now, does any of this sound familiar?  Mullen's assistant coaches will also receive raises that were not specified.  MSU's AD said, "[Mullen] and I share a vision of what we want this program to become, and that's among the best in the country."   Both say they have discussed facility upgrades, including a new building that will house all of the program's operations, and possibly expanding Scott Field.
 
Here is the New Order of SEC coaching salaries thus far:  Nick Saban ($4.2 million), Urban Meyer ($4.1 million), Les Miles ($3.9 million), Bobby Petrino ($3.85 million), Mark Richt ($3.4 million), Dan Mullen ($2.65 million), Houston Nutt ($2.51 million), Steve Spurrier ($2.2 million), Gene Chizik ($2.2 million), Derek Dooley ($1.8 million), and Joker Phillips ($1.75 million).  New Vanderbilt coach James Franklin's salary terms are nowhere to be found (being a private school), but I'd estimate it being in the Dooley and Phillips range;  even though Vandy was rumored to be willing to pay Gus Malzahn $3 million to take the job.  

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This is getting more interesting by the minute.  Not only is Arkansas on the rise, but right at the moment our division - in the best conference - has become the juggernaut of college football . 

Not sure if that's great timing or BAD timing!?

Corrections:   As hard as I tried to get it right, still left Urban Meyer in and Will Muschamp out.  This moves Bobby Petrino to 3rd, while Mullen is still 6th.

New Order of SEC coaching salaries thus far / revised -
Nick Saban ($4.2 million),  Les Miles ($3.9 million), Bobby Petrino ($3.85 million), Mark Richt ($3.4 million), Will Muschamp ($2.7 million), Dan Mullen ($2.65 million), Houston Nutt ($2.51 million), Steve Spurrier ($2.2 million), Gene Chizik ($2.2 million), Derek Dooley ($1.8 million), and Joker Phillips ($1.75 million).  New Vanderbilt coach James Franklin's salary terms are nowhere to be found (being a private school), but I'd estimate it being in the Dooley and Phillips range.

Great Schedule Grid:  For a quick look at all the 2011 SEC team matchups in grid form, hit the link below.  This is the third year I've used it to size up which teams have the most difficult schedules, etc.

• 2011 SEC Football Schedule Grid

I do the same thing, blh. :)

Here are a few things regarding UA expansion and Bobby Petrino, as gleened from arkansasonline.com's two-part series "State of the Razorbacks", which just ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette -

• ... a new master plan for athletic facilities is set to be officially unveiled this fall.
• Long said,  "When we roll out the master plan, this is a strategic road map and there won't be a lot of timelines on it, and our fans will need to understand that.  When we get to that point in the road, the facility might change a little from what we're showing you now.  What we're showing you is what can be and what the possibilities are of what it might look like."
• The price tag for the master plan is undetermined, but Long said a safe estimate for the long-range plan is $80-100 million.  That number could fluctuate depending on economic conditions at the time of the building, as well as adjustments based on the cost of labor and materials.
• The Reynolds Foundation, which donated much of the money used to expand the football stadium a decade ago, donated $10 million last year as a challenge grant to raise an additional $18 million for the center.  That money would cover the cost of the building, Long said, with more money needed to cover the cost of new outdoor practice fields and the surrounding area.
• In all, more than $20 million has been raised for the project, which could be completed prior to the 2013 football season.  The university has targeted large donors for the project at this point, but will move toward a broader fundraising effort in August to allow lower income fans to donate to the project.
• "I don't think there is any question that football donations, the top has been blown off and it has boomed," Horton said.  "The enthusiasm the people have for football is at a high right now.  The donations are up and our membership is up."
• "Without giving specific numbers and amounts, it's perhaps the biggest leap from one year to the next."
• "You've always got to be planning for your future.  I've always felt that once you feel like you've arrived, saying, 'We're there,' that's the precise minute you start falling behind.  We never want to get to that point where we feel like we've arrived and we can relax.  We can't relax;  we've got to keep moving forward."

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Both articles in their entirity can be read here -
State of the Razorbacks