On this week’s episode of Going Offsides, the guys discuss the LSU football situation and how DI football coaching contracts have gotten out of control.
Later in the show, they discuss the success of Tewaaraton Award winner and now-DII football quarterback Jared Bernhardt.
Coaching Contracts
When the news broke that Ed Orgeron’s contract would be terminated at the end of the 2021 football season, it came as a bit of a shock. Typically, coaches are terminated after a loss, or due to one single obscene incident. In the case of Orgeron, he was let go due to an apparent collection of smaller indiscretions and on the heels of a ranked victory that brought his team back to .500.
| Coach | School | Salary | Buyout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Nick Saban | Alabama | $9.75 million | $38.4 million |
| 2. Ed Orgeron | LSU | $9.01 million | $17.15 million |
| 3. David Shaw | Stanford | $8.92 million | – |
| 4. Dabo Swinney | Clemson | $8.37 million | $47.5 million |
| 5. Lincoln Riley | Oklahoma | $7.67 million | $25.188 million |
| 6. Dan Mullen | Florida | $7.57 million | $12 million |
| 7. Jimbo Fisher | Texas A&M | $7.5 million | $95.575 million |
| 8. Kirby Smart | Georgia | $7.13 million | $14.61 million |
| 9. Ryan Day | Ohio State | $6.61 million | $27.42 million |
| 10. Gary Patterson | TCU | $6.10 million | – |
What’s astonishing isn’t the salary amount, which is a story for another day, but it’s the buyout clause that many of these coaches are getting. Yes, LSU will be paying Coach O almost $17 million over the next five years. Take a look at Jimbo Fisher’s buyout – nearly $100 million. While his buyout only occurs if he’s fired without cause, what world are we living in where this is a reasonable number?
Listen to the pod for our full thoughts.
Jared Bernhardt
When the best player in college lacrosse decided to delay his inevitable debut in the PLL for a football career, we weren’t sure what to make of it. He hadn’t played meaningful football since high school, and while football is in his blood, we have to admit we were both astonished and excited to see how well Jared has done.
