How Does Howland's Contract Compare?

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Jul 2, 2008 11:06 AM PDT Comment 12 comments

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

UCLA has a reputation for severely underpaying its coaches and being unwilling to invest in its athletics. So with Howland signing his fifth contract extension in five years Jeff Eisenberg took a look at how Howland's contract compares with those of some of the other top coaches in the country.

- Billy Donovan (Florida), $3.5 million
- Thad Matta (Ohio State), $2.5 million
- John Calipari (Memphis), $2.35 million
- Billy Gillispie (Kentucky), $2.3 million
- Tom Crean (Indiana), $2.3 million
- Ben Howland (UCLA), $1.97 million
- Roy Williams (North Carolina), $1.8 million
- Tubby Smith (Minnesota), $1.8 million
- Tom Izzo (Michigan State), $1.7 million
- Rick Pitino (Louisville), $1.65 million
- Bill Self (Kansas) $1.4 million (Expected to renegotiate this offseason)

Not bad for an athletic department that has a history of underpaying coaches. It's clear the attitude of the Morgan Center has changed since DG took over and coaches who perform are rewarded. Just check out the numbers of how Howland's salary has gone up in the past five years (again from Jeff Eisenberg).

Howland's annual salary
2003-04: $900,000 (11-17, 7th in Pac-10)
2004-05: $900,000 (18-11, lost to Texas Tech in NCAA first round)
2005-06: $900,000 (32-7, lost to Florida in NCAA title game)
2006-07: $1.15 million (30-6, lost to Florida in Final Four)
2007-08: $1.5 million (35-4, lost to Memphis in Final Four)
2008-09: $1.97 million (???)

I don't think anybody would argue that Howland has deserved each and every one of those raises. Maybe we'll see him get another raise after next season deserving for a coach who brought home banner #12?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Comments

You do a lot of work

I’m surprised SBN didn’t want you to run a Laker blog. I know I’d be there all the time.

Looking down the list, it would seem Self is in line for a bit of a pay raise himself.

Look at the trends as well. From 11-17 to 35-4. 35 wins!?

In his five years, his winning percentage has gone from .392 to .509 to .635 to .689 to .737

by Tydides on Jul 2, 2008 11:23 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Self

His alma mater offered him the moon, but says he wants to stay at Kansas and is assured that they will bring his compensation into line.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Jul 2, 2008 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Howland's winning % is much better than that

Unless I’m calculating wrong, I believe it’s gone from .392 to .621 to .821 to .833 to .897 (wow!).

by swc89 on Jul 2, 2008 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I calculated it by his overall record

Not year to year.

by Tydides on Jul 2, 2008 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What a difference a year makes

To think, less than a year ago, it was up for debate if DG had it in him to do the right thing re KD. Now, with that decision, the women’s basketball hire, the baseball assistant hire, and a number of non-Pauley funding issues (not to mention previous hires such as Howland and Savage), the guy looks more and more golden.

It’s almost hard to consider. From someone so deeply scarred by Pete Dalis, I’m actually beginning to think we might have one of the best AD’s around, at least in the top spot (the bureaucracy still needs some work).

by Menelaus on Jul 2, 2008 11:40 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree

The more he succeeds the more power he will wield.

He has taken some risks that are paying off and now he is entitled to the benefits of having done so.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Jul 2, 2008 11:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bruce Pearl just re-upped at Tenn

Don’t have time to link, but it is somewhere in the 2.3m per range.

by Ajax on Jul 2, 2008 11:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lifetime contract?

Does anyone here else think that with Coach Howland saying that UCLA has been and is his dream job and with his great success over his tenure that obviously includes 3 PAC-10 titles and 3 Final Fours is worthy of a possible lifetime contract ala Coach K?

Granted, Duke has a university retirement age of 65 and I am not sure if UCLA has such a retirement age.

Given how endearing Coach Howland has been to the UCLA community and how he cares so much about the reputation of the program and the kids he coaches, I would want to see Howland at UCLA until he decides he can’t do it anymore.

by SmrtGuy82 on Jul 2, 2008 12:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I actually prefer it as it is

The “lifetime” contract, beyond being nice symbolically, doesn’t rub me the right way. And, as it stands, Howland’s contract is already perpetual, at least in the sense that he gets automatic, or near automatic, extensions every year. In fact, the yearly extensions seem to provide better opportunities for raises, which fortunately UCLA has availed it self of recently.

by Menelaus on Jul 2, 2008 3:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here's to hoping

we have double CRNs pay in 5 years after he beats SUC and wins his third straight PAC 10 title

"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"

by silverlakebruin on Jul 2, 2008 3:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'll drink to that

UCLA has shown they can pay for a top-notch basketball coach, and if Neuheisel accomplishes that feat, that kind pay raise shouldn’t even be a question.

by hiltigger on Jul 2, 2008 5:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs