It is one thing for the University of Miami to give Mario Christobal a 10- year, $80 million deal to leave Oregon for Coral Gables.
But quite another when the deal winds up costing the faculty salary cuts to help pay for his contact.
Immediately after Christobal signed, the Miami Herald reported the university was forcing faculty to teach in person, slashing more than $100 million in its matching contributions to retirement plans and forcing the faculty to accept compensation cuts in salary. .
Anonymous faculty members suggest the school will use the money for major capital projects, for a new football coach and for Covid 19 stimulus checks to students.
Miami, desperate for a winning football team, reportedly had to pay Oregon $9 million to buy out Christobal’s contract along with $4 million settlement to former coach Manny Diaz, who has since reinvented himself as Penn State’s new defensive coordinator.
This has been a big year for coaches’ negotiation power at brand name schools. Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma to sign a 10-year, $100 million dollar deal with USC. Brian Kelly, who left Notre Dame for LSU, has a 10- year deal that more than 100,000 in compensation. Penn State signed James Franklin to a 10-year $75 million extension while Michigan State inked second-year coach Mel Tucker to a 10-year, $95 million extension.
The years and guaranteed money could make coaches think twice before leaving for a new job or even an NFL coaching vacancy. But patience wears thin at schools with a demanding fan base with national championship expectations. Just three years ago Ed Orgeron won a national championship at LSU. Two years later, after a 6-6 season, he is out of work.
