We all know that football and basketball coaches make ridiculously high salaries, but I never thought of them as the highest-paid public employees.
That’s why I found this map from DeadSpin shocking. Really? Coaches deserve more money than governors and mayors and even public health officials? (Yes, I know I’m living in a dream world with that last item. Put teachers on the list too, while I’m in utopia).
Who can keep up with the athletic leaders in the salary race? Med school deans and a few college presidents. Here’s how it breaks down in all 50 states, based on DeadSpin’s analysis of media reports and state salary databases from June. Jocks are at the top in all but 10 states:
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- Football coaches in 27 states
- Basketball coaches in 13 states
- College presidents in 5 states
- Medical school deans in 3 states
- Medical school plastic surgeon in 1 state (That would be Nevada, of course)
- Law school dean in 1 state
Skeptical? I bet your objection is refuted in the DeadSpin article, including the “but they bring in so much money to the university!”
This revenue rarely makes its way back to the general funds of these universities. Looking at data from 2011-2012, athletic departments at 99 major schools lost an average of $5 million once you take out revenue generated from “student fees” and “university subsidies.” If you take out “contributions and donations”—some of which might have gone to the universities had they not been lavished on the athletic departments—this drops to an average loss of $17 million, with just one school (Army) in the black. All this football/basketball revenue is sucked up by coach and AD salaries, by administrative and facility costs, and by the athletic department’s non-revenue generating sports; it’s not like it’s going to microscopes and Bunsen burners.
And did you know that the state is on the hook if businesses don’t come through with the endorsement dollar figure set in the coach’s contract?
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Far exceeding these base salaries is the “additional compensation” that almost all of these coaches receive, which is tied to media appearances, apparel contracts, and fundraising. While this compensation does not come directly from the state fund it is guaranteed in the coaches’ contracts; if revenue falls short, the school—and thus the state—is on the hook to cover the difference.
I know our society’s priorities are messed up, but this is just sad. There are certainly many excellent coaches around the country who are a positive influence on kids and young adults. At the college level, however, the pressure to win seems to produce some really unhealthy behaviors, including encouraging anorexia, physically abusing players, financial exploitation of players, and promoting the culture of rape. It’s bad enough that these people are our heroes and even worse than tax-payer money supports them.