Is it possible to buy a championship in college football? Tennessee’s sure trying. They’re spending absurd amount of money in the only place it’s legal: the coaching staff. Besides the $2 million due new head coach Lane Kiffin (more than he made in Oakland), the Volunteers are going to drop millions more on the assistants, including $150,000 for one who doesn’t even have a job yet.
Maybe the players play for school spirit, but no sport is more mercenary when it comes to coaching than college football. AD Mike Hamilton (who makes $315,000 himself) said the budget for coaches would increase “significantly” this year, but some of the numbers are truly ludicrous (and more than a little nepotistic.) Get ready to hate Tennessee even more, after the jump.
David Reaves, formerly South Carolina’s quarterbacks coach, is set to make $150,000. Only problem is, they haven’t found a role for him yet. Yes, you read right; a coach without a specific job is making more than you ever will. Did I mention he’s Kiffin’s brother-in-law?
But blood relatives are closer than relatives by marriage, so Monte Kiffin will earn around $1 million to be defensive coordinator. While Monte is acknowledged as one of the top defensive minds in the game, couldn’t they have used that money to bribe a few top recruits?
The numbers are ridiculous outside the immediate family, too. Ed Orgeron, defensive line coach, will make $600,000. Strength and conditioning coach Mark Smith, whose primary job is spotting players in the weight room, will make $190,000.
That’s $4 million so far on the coaching staff, and they haven’t even hired an offensive coordinator yet. Or a quaterbacks coach. Or an offensive line coach. Or a running backs coach. Or a wide receivers coach. Or a safeties coach. Or a defensive ends coach. Or a linebackers coach. And yes, each of these positions have their own coach, and yes, each will likely make enough money to make you want to puke.
[UPDATE: Tennessee added Lance Thompson, a man without a specific role but with a $450,000 salary.)
Here’s the thing though. Sure, coaching contributes to a team’s success, but it still boils down to the talent on the field. Ask Lane Kiffin about the Raiders last year; I don’t think the coaching staff was the issue. But Tennessee is a program that hasn’t won its conference since 1998, and hasn’t been to a BCS Bowl since 2000. That’s far too long for those boosters. The school is doing what it can to recruit, but they’ve got to really show the donors that they’re doing something to win. And the only way to spend money is to put it into the staff.
12:42 pm on January 16th, 2009
They have already hired an OC Jim Chaney. And OL coach James Cregg. Bammer got one coach for 4 Million, TN gets 5. Hmmm who is spending their money more wisely? Oh and they have hired a LB coach, Bama's old LB coach and Ace Recuriter Lance Thompson. Do your Homework.
12:50 pm on January 16th, 2009
So how many Tennessee public schools & libraries are closing down to cover the cost of the Vols' staff?
12:51 pm on January 16th, 2009
Homework? Tennessee players never heard of it.
1:09 pm on January 16th, 2009
you know, a playoff would give the Vols even more money. A playoff is not only necessary, it will help fill the coffers of everyone. If Delany would get the metal pole out of his rear end and do the right thing, then we can make some progress. Hopefully, Obama issues an executive order at midnight on January 21.
1:39 pm on January 16th, 2009
This is one of the poorer articles written on SBB. Get your facts straight. They do have an OC, Reeves will be QB coach and recruiting coordinator more than likely. Coordinators are also making big $ these days and UT's aren't out of line. Give the underpaid AD credit for putting Kiffin(who could have made more $) in position to succede.
2:06 pm on January 16th, 2009
aint earl, what in the world does the coaching staff have to do with public schools? tennessee doesn't use a dime outside of the revenue generated by the football program and private donations. i think UT is one of four or five universities that do that with their athletic department, and can do that. BTW, there is no such thing as "state universities" anymore, just "state assisted". UT system only pulls about 30% of its operating costs from state funds. VA schools are half that.
6:55 pm on January 16th, 2009
Kiffin will be one of the lower-paid coaches in the conference, and UT’s football program not only pays for itself, it donates money to university academics as well.
2:00 am on January 17th, 2009
Don't forget, this is the same school that has bought an SUV for 3 quarterbacks in the past ten years, a house for a runningback, and given $150,000 cash to Eric Berry. A coach who was celebrated for telling his players to break legs, arms and even necks to get ahead on the field. Also, don't forget a few years ago when no less than 10 starters were not expelled, suspended or investigated despite being caught cheating red-handed on final exams, and the NCAA looked the other way. Any other school in the country would receive the death penalty for ONE of these infractions. It's repugnant how awful the violations are over at UcheaT. But nobody cares.
3:12 pm on January 19th, 2009
Someone doesn't do their research. Reaves has been named the QB coach from day one back in the first week of December. Chaney was hired before Christmas as the offensive coordinator. This is not top secret stuff.
And just the whole subject of this story is gut wrenching. Tennessee is not spending that much money. Tennessee is able to hire Lane Kiffin, Monte Kiffin, Ed Oregeron, David Reaves and James Cregg for the amount of money that Nick Saban at Alabama makes. Tennessee's whole staff that has just been hired doesn't make as much as Bob Stoops alone. Write about some legitimate news.