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Updated football coaching salaries
Posted August 2, 2008
Earlier this year I wrote a story for Buffzone in which I compared the 2007-08 salaries for CU assistant football coaches to their colleagues around the Big 12 Conference.
The CU coaches were not the highest paid in the conference last year. Nor were they the lowest paid. They’re in the middle of the pack, which is probably appropriate, for a school with roughly half the athletics budget of a university like Texas.
I thought I would provide an update with new salary information for the 2008-09 fiscal year. Coaches are given raises every year on July 1 in accordance with school policy. Coach Dan Hawkins and athletic director Mike Bohn can choose to give a particular assistant coach a more significant raise in any given year.
The only assistant to receive a higher percentage raise than the others this summer was offensive line coach Jeff Grimes, who will make about $16,000 more this year compared with last season..
Another element of assistant coaches’ pay at CU should be clarified here. The school took over running all sports camps a few years ago in the wake of the “recruiting scandal” under former coach Gary Barnett.
The school pays head coaches to lead the camps. It then takes the entry fees from campers and pays expenses for the camps such as insurance, dorm fees and the cost of providing food and drinks to campers.
The remaining money is given back to the athletic department, and Bohn and the head coach of each sport sit down and decide how much each assistant coach should earn from the camp. I verified all of this with Mike Bohn.
So keep in mind that the following salaries are base salaries and each assistant receives additional income from the five summer camps the football program puts on each summer. It is also important to note that some of the assistant coaches also are provided courtesy cars from the school as part of the annual compensation.
Here is a look at the 2008-09 CU assistant football coaches’ salaries obtained from the school through an official public records request.
Football staff base salary
Mark Helfrich, offensive coordinator, $217,776
Ron Collins, defensive coordinator, $217,776
Jeff Grimes, asst head coach/offensive line, $206,887
Kent Riddle, tight ends/special teams, $195,998
Eric Kiesau, wide receivers/passing game, $194,910
Greg Brown, secondary, $143,963
Brian Cabral, asst head coach/linebackers, $136,110
Romeo Bandison, defensive line, $136,110
Darian Hagan, running backs, $92,555
Total, $1,42,085
2007-08 Salaries
Mark Helfrich, offensive coordinator, $208,000
Ron Collins, defensive coordinator, $208,000
Jeff Grimes, asst head coach/offensive line, $190,000
Kent Riddle, tight ends/special teams, $187,500
Eric Kiesau, wide receivers/passing game, $186,160
Greg Brown, secondary, $137,500
Brian Cabral, asst head coach/linebackers, $130,000
Romeo Bandison, defensive line, $130,000
Darian Hagan, running backs, $88,400
Subtotal, $1,465,560
Jeff Pitman, strength and conditioning, $110,000
Robert Tucker, director of football operations, $65,000
Total, $1,640,560
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Posted by mgmtgrad on August 4, 2008 at 10:18 a.m.
Great that they are all getting raises, but why are two of the assistant coaches, Cabral and Hagan, that have been with and loyal to the program for the longest time near the bottom of the pay scale?
Not to mention their contribution to recruiting.
Marcus J
Posted by shoulder2shoulder on August 4, 2008 at 11:06 a.m.
hagan and cabral have to get the majority of camp moeny if they make half of some of the other coaches!!!
Posted by DCBuff on August 4, 2008 at 12:40 p.m.
I agree with Marcus J...Cabral and Hagan have been VERY loyal to the program and I hope CU recognizes that. Otherwise we will loose these two!! And that's something we can't afford!!
Posted by jahbrahakala on August 4, 2008 at 2:49 p.m.
Note the Asst. Head Coach title next to Cabral's name, and then look at the salary of the other Asst. Head Coach. That's a symbolic title only and really is a shame. Hopefully NEXT YEAR, he is the one he gets a huge bump in pay. 18 Years of coaching experience with this guy, come on people. I imagine managing the assistant coaching pool has some serious constraints, but Cabral should be next in line.
As far as Grimes goes, he deserves every cent he makes and we need to fend off the other programs who want to poach him.
Posted by ralphieupthemiddle on August 4, 2008 at 3:26 p.m.
It's no wonder Coach Cabral is looking for a head coaching job, CU isn't paying him peanuts after 20 years. Loyalty only goes so far in paying the bills...
Posted by neb_cu_buff on August 4, 2008 at 5:49 p.m.
Yah that sucks. Give Cabral and Hagan some more money. CU needs to keep them two around. Hagan was a big factor in bringing in Darrell Scott and we know how great Cabral is.