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Everything’s
bigger in the state of Texas and that includes more than a few football
contracts as well.
As noted by the Austin
American Statesman’s Brain Davis, school regents in Austin are
set to approve a slate of new contracts for Longhorns staff members following a
number of changes made by Tom Herman this offseason. Among the biggest moves the
embattled head coach made was undoubtedly saying goodbye to OC Tim
Beck and eventually bringing
in Mike Yurcich from Ohio State.
Buckeyes
head coach Ryan Day said in the wake of the move at the
time that he didn’t want to lose Yurcich but that the money was a
significant factor. We’ll say.
It seems that UT will pay Yurcich $1.7 million
over the next three seasons as part of his deal — roughly doubling what he was
making at OSU. That was already a robust $950,000 in Columbus — among the top
30 coaches in the country in 2019 as is according to USA Today.
That
will make Yurcich, at least temporarily, the highest paid offensive coordinator
in the country in 2020. Clemson OC Tony Elliott has a larger overall
deal and will see his annual salary jump higher in 2021. Alabama OC Steve
Sarkisian is expected to receive an amount bigger than either in the weeks
ahead after agreeing to stay in Tuscaloosa and not become the head coach
at Colorado.
Still, that’s quite the exclusive club Yurcich is joining just a
few years removed from him coaching in the Division II ranks before he joined
Big 12 rival Oklahoma State in 2013.
Interestingly, despite the massive
salary Texas is paying, the school isn’t actually spending any more on their
two new coordinators in 2020 than they did in 2019. Ex-DC Todd Orlando made roughly $1.7 million and
Beck’s $800,000 salary is almost exactly what Chris Ash (who is also getting millions from
Rutgers) will be taking home to run the Horns defense.
Other assistants who recently joined
the staff are set to see some six-figure pay raises so it’s not all even from
last year to this one.
If there’s any athletic department
in the country who doesn’t bat an eye over it all though, it’s Texas.
