Utah gives Whittingham 2-year extension and raise to $3.3 million....well deserved.
Following a 10-3 season that saw Utah climb in the rankings and come closer to competing for a Pac-12 title, Utah has agreed to extend the contract of head coach Kyle Whittinghamby two years. The newly extended contract for Whittingham now runs through the 2020 season, and Whittingham receives a nice raise as a result. Whittingham will be paid $3.3 million per year during the course of the contract.
Based on 2015 coaching salaries, Utah will now make Whittingham the Pac-12’s third highest-paid coach in the conference, trailing Washington’s Chris Petersen ($3.4 million) and UCLA’s Jim Mora ($3.35 million). That standing could quickly change at any time though depending on what other schools do with their salaries. For the sake of comparison, Stanford’s David Shaw is among the lowest-paid coaches in the Pac-12, earning $2.2 million per year, third lowest in the conference according to 2015 salaries despite winning three Pac-12 championships over the last five years. It should also be noted USC does not disclose their salary info, although it should be expected Clay Helton is not getting paid as lucrativly as the other coaches with a longer track record as a head coach.
Whittingham is second in Utah history for coaching victories with 94, trailing only Ike Armstrong’s 141 wins from 1925 through 1949. He has coached Utah to a record of 94-46, which includes a strong 8-1 bowl record and four top 25 finishes. Whittingham has also guided the program through a successful move from the Mountain West Conference into the Pac-12, and has shown the ability to build a team that can win in the new power conference home of the program. Utah got off to a strong start last season and climbed the polls to as high as No. 3 in the AP poll, but the Utes hit a wall down the stretch and lost some key Pac-12 games to prevent them from competing for the Pac-12 championship. The improvement in a division thought to be loaded with competition did not fly under the radar.
Following a 10-3 season that saw Utah climb in the rankings and come closer to competing for a Pac-12 title, Utah has agreed to extend the contract of head coach Kyle Whittinghamby two years. The newly extended contract for Whittingham now runs through the 2020 season, and Whittingham receives a nice raise as a result. Whittingham will be paid $3.3 million per year during the course of the contract.
Based on 2015 coaching salaries, Utah will now make Whittingham the Pac-12’s third highest-paid coach in the conference, trailing Washington’s Chris Petersen ($3.4 million) and UCLA’s Jim Mora ($3.35 million). That standing could quickly change at any time though depending on what other schools do with their salaries. For the sake of comparison, Stanford’s David Shaw is among the lowest-paid coaches in the Pac-12, earning $2.2 million per year, third lowest in the conference according to 2015 salaries despite winning three Pac-12 championships over the last five years. It should also be noted USC does not disclose their salary info, although it should be expected Clay Helton is not getting paid as lucrativly as the other coaches with a longer track record as a head coach.
Whittingham is second in Utah history for coaching victories with 94, trailing only Ike Armstrong’s 141 wins from 1925 through 1949. He has coached Utah to a record of 94-46, which includes a strong 8-1 bowl record and four top 25 finishes. Whittingham has also guided the program through a successful move from the Mountain West Conference into the Pac-12, and has shown the ability to build a team that can win in the new power conference home of the program. Utah got off to a strong start last season and climbed the polls to as high as No. 3 in the AP poll, but the Utes hit a wall down the stretch and lost some key Pac-12 games to prevent them from competing for the Pac-12 championship. The improvement in a division thought to be loaded with competition did not fly under the radar.
Alabama has 17 hard commitments right now. Seven are already on campus. Saban and staff are in the running for a number of top recruits and will land their share come signing day. Right now, Alabama is rated 7th by 247 Sports, 9th by Scout and 12th by Rivals.
Don't be surprised if the Tide doesn't end up a top-5 class.
Don't be surprised if the Tide doesn't end up a top-5 class.
It's not about Charlie Strong wanting to get out of Austin. It's more about what he has going against him down there. The "Bagman" is alive and well at every major university. But Texas being ranked outside the top 40 is probably more about "letting the money dry up." Just my opinion, but I have a feeling this is the tactic that is being employed right now because Strong never had the full backing of the boosters. The quickest way to insure his demise is for the boosters to do nothing.
Southern Miss Hires New Coach
Alcorn State head coach Jay Hopson has been named the new head coach at Southern Miss. Hopson (white) went 32-17 in four years at the historically black college. He took over an Alcorn program that had gone 2-8 the year before and posted records of 4-7, 9-3, 10-3 and 9-4. Hopson (47 yrs old) is a Mississippi native and coached at Southern Miss on two different occasions. 2001-2003 and 2005-2007 when he was defensive coordinator.
Alcorn State head coach Jay Hopson has been named the new head coach at Southern Miss. Hopson (white) went 32-17 in four years at the historically black college. He took over an Alcorn program that had gone 2-8 the year before and posted records of 4-7, 9-3, 10-3 and 9-4. Hopson (47 yrs old) is a Mississippi native and coached at Southern Miss on two different occasions. 2001-2003 and 2005-2007 when he was defensive coordinator.
Good point about Southern Miss wanting a coach to stick around for awhile. Jay Hopson will make $500,000 each year of his four year contract. His buyout is $2,000,000 if he leaves during his first three years. Sounds like Hopson is there for the long haul with that kind of buyout. The previous coach make $700,000 a year. SM got Hopson on the cheap but he was probably making $90,000 to $110,000 at Alcorn so big jump for him.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald confirmed yesterday that all nine assistant coaches
will return for the 5th straight season. That is amazing in this day and time.
Either Fitzgerald is a great guy to work for or Northwestern is a great environment for assistant
coaches or nobody else wants them. My guess is it is the first two.
will return for the 5th straight season. That is amazing in this day and time.
Either Fitzgerald is a great guy to work for or Northwestern is a great environment for assistant
coaches or nobody else wants them. My guess is it is the first two.
UAB (University Alabama Birmingham) gets approval for a $15 million indoor football
facility, to open in 2017. Plans for the new 46,000 square-foot facility, complete with
locker rooms and an indoor turf and new offices for the program, were approved recently.
The goal is for the project to be done by summer 2917, in time for the Blazers firs year
back on the field.
YOU GO BLAZERS!! There's even talk about playing Alabama. Saban said it was fine with him.
facility, to open in 2017. Plans for the new 46,000 square-foot facility, complete with
locker rooms and an indoor turf and new offices for the program, were approved recently.
The goal is for the project to be done by summer 2917, in time for the Blazers firs year
back on the field.
YOU GO BLAZERS!! There's even talk about playing Alabama. Saban said it was fine with him.
Wow....The University of Alabama-Birmingham playing a football game against the Crimson Tide. That would be something to place into the annuals of the State of Alabama football history books. I know the Rx is a football forum but lets not forget about the great Medical School at UAB......One of the best in the Country.
Texas' board of regents will approve contracts for new offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert and offensive line
coach Matt Mattox this week, per AP. Both will have three year deals, with Gilbert earning $850,000 annually
and Mattox earning $550,000.
Also, Texas and Rice have agreed to play a three game series beginning in 2019. The Horns will pay Rice
$1 million for a 2019 game in Houston at NRG Stadium. Rice will travel to Austin in 2021 and 2023 earning
$2.5 million for each game. Texas pays Rice a million dollars for playing in their back yard...amazing.
**It would be great if Alabama would pay UAB $1 million for a game every now and then!!!
coach Matt Mattox this week, per AP. Both will have three year deals, with Gilbert earning $850,000 annually
and Mattox earning $550,000.
Also, Texas and Rice have agreed to play a three game series beginning in 2019. The Horns will pay Rice
$1 million for a 2019 game in Houston at NRG Stadium. Rice will travel to Austin in 2021 and 2023 earning
$2.5 million for each game. Texas pays Rice a million dollars for playing in their back yard...amazing.
**It would be great if Alabama would pay UAB $1 million for a game every now and then!!!
Charlie Strong Staff Moves:
Fires DB coach Chris Vaugh
Loses OC Jay Norvell (to Arizona State, he'll be the new WR coach at ASU)
Following up on reports that surfaced earlier today, Texas head coach Charlie Strong has confirmed in a statement that Chris Vaughnis no longer a member of his Longhorns coaching staff.
“Chris did a tremendous job for us,” the statement from Strong began. “He’s a terrific football coach and a great person. However, circumstances have put us in a position that we are going to part ways.”
While those circumstances weren’t specified, it’s believed they’re tied to the NCAA’s investigation into the Ole Miss football program.
From 2008-11, Vaughn was an assistant under Houston Nutt with the Rebels. One report in connection to Vaughn’s ouster at UT stated that “the facts against Vaughn [in the Ole Miss case] ‘were damning,'” while another said the “NCAA has a ‘thick file’ on Vaughn.”
Vaughn had spent the past two seasons as Strong’s defensive backs coach. While his two-year contract had expired late last month, he had an option for a third year that, prior to the Ole Miss developments, was expected to be picked up by the football program.
Fires DB coach Chris Vaugh
Loses OC Jay Norvell (to Arizona State, he'll be the new WR coach at ASU)
Following up on reports that surfaced earlier today, Texas head coach Charlie Strong has confirmed in a statement that Chris Vaughnis no longer a member of his Longhorns coaching staff.
“Chris did a tremendous job for us,” the statement from Strong began. “He’s a terrific football coach and a great person. However, circumstances have put us in a position that we are going to part ways.”
While those circumstances weren’t specified, it’s believed they’re tied to the NCAA’s investigation into the Ole Miss football program.
From 2008-11, Vaughn was an assistant under Houston Nutt with the Rebels. One report in connection to Vaughn’s ouster at UT stated that “the facts against Vaughn [in the Ole Miss case] ‘were damning,'” while another said the “NCAA has a ‘thick file’ on Vaughn.”
Vaughn had spent the past two seasons as Strong’s defensive backs coach. While his two-year contract had expired late last month, he had an option for a third year that, prior to the Ole Miss developments, was expected to be picked up by the football program.
