why does he get paid that much
You ever stop to ask the question: why does that athlete get paid so much? Well, I am not asking that question today about the athlete. I'm asking about his coach. Now don't get me wrong, I think coach's who have proven their worth, won championships, etc. should get the lucrative contracts. I'm talking about a coach in particular, June Jones of the Univerity of Hawaii Warriors football team.
Jones makes over $800,000 each year. With his other incentives and bonuses he can get near $900,000. Now during his tenure, he has turned around the Hawaii football program. However, to make that kind of money, I would expect to have at least a top 15 in the nation program. Not to mention a visit to a bowl of some consequence. No. What did UH and outside investors do? UH and the outside investors gave the man more money than the President, the University Chancellor, the Governor, etc. That's right, outside investors are paying about half his contract.
I opened up the paper and found an article about how UH has lost five football scholarships because of academic ratings. Below that article, was an article with a picture of Jones smiling because he had been given nearly $30,000 in bonus money this past season. A season, in which, UH failed to make the Hawaii Bowl, the only Bowl UH has visited. Withing UH going to that Bowl, ConAgra, the sponsor, loses money because not too many local fans are going to go on Christmas Eve or Christmas to watch away teams play.
I walked into my bathroom tonight and for whatever reason saw an article that mention the Hawaii Athletic department was finally getting out of red ink, or at least predicted to get out, this fiscal year. Hmmm.. paying a coach of a average-below average team that much money... Whatever.
Let's take a page from the BCS. I propose a formula for paying coaches (and athletes on the professional level). Factor in wins, strength of schedule, academics, etc. From there determine what a coach gets paid. Now it might piss off Bobby Bowden (whom I respect quite a bit) but it would be fair and Universities would pay for what they get.
What do I know? Football is the money maker for most schools and that will make the powers that be see differently.
