The Nation to DG: Pay da' man

From the diaries. This is a NO BRAINER. GO BRUINS. - N

It may be too late for us to get Howland the NCOY honors he so deserves, but it's never too late to urge the AD to give Howland a fat raise.  

Not that I think he's got any ideas, but let's lock him up.  This man is single-handedly responsible for the resurgence of our most prized sports program.  He has brought honor and pride back to Pauley Pavilion.  He has exorcized the demons of Lavin.  He has led us to a Final Four more quickly, and with more poise and class, than I think we could have reasonably hoped for.  He has developed our young players hearts, minds and bodies.  He has saved our upperclassmen from the dark years.  I love this guy, and I really can't say enough good things about him.

So, let's review.  Howland original contract was signed in December 2003, and paid Howland a base salary of $150,000 in a deal that was worth $900,000 a year (click here for the details).  Last year, including incentives, Howland reportedly made just over a million ($1,020,000).  This year, he'll get a bit more, thanks to a $25,000 bonus for winning the league title outright, and a $50,000 bonus for reaching the Final Four.

Of course, that's a decent salary, but not what a man of this caliber deserves.  As we all know, the elite coaches in college basketball are making a lot more.

Here's a rundown of some of the major men's basketball coaches and their pay.  Some salaries do not reflect total income because of different reporting requirements or undisclosed outside income.

Coach     School     Income
Tubby Smith     Kentucky     $1.9 million
Tom Crean     Marquette     $1.65 million
Rick Pitino     Louisville    $1.64 million
Tom Izzo     Michigan State     $1.6 million
Jim Calhoun     Connecticut     $1.4-$1.5 million
Mike Krzyzewski     Duke     $1.4 million
Roy Williams     North Carolina    $1.4 million

Clearly, we've got one of the great coaches in Howland- and one I'd take any day over the guys above.  We've finally got someone who is a worthy successor to Wooden.  And it's time we do whatever it takes so he knows exactly how commited the university and its alumni are to him.  Not only because he deserves it, but because it's the right thing to do.  As Nestor aptly points out here:

One of the tragic things about Coach Wooden IMHO was UCLA never took care of him while he was coaching in Westwood.  We can't make the same mistake with Howland.

It's well documented that Wooden only made a pittance during his career, earning only $32,500 in his final year.  And though he's finally getting some reward on the speakers circuit , UCLA should handle things better this time around.

I say we take whatever Dorrell got in his recent (and undeserved) raise, and multiply it by, say, ten.   Whatever else happens, this year has been a remarkable success. And I hope and pray that DG will see this, and that Howland will be handsomely (and justly) rewarded.