Football coaching staff's pay part of UH's upgrade strategy

[Harry]

In the next step to a possible invitation into college football's elite fraternity, the University of Houston will open the checkbook and pay a record amount in assistant coaching salaries this season.

 

The nine full-time assistants on new coach Tom Herman's staff will earn $2.113 million, a 17 percent increase from 2014, according to contracts obtained by the Houston Chronicle through an open-records request.

The total - nearly $300,000 more than the $1.82 million from last season - puts UH ahead of a handful of schools from the Power 5 conferences based on the most recent salary-pool figures for last season.

Herman called UH "a sleeping giant in college football," with the recent shift in resources and upgrades aimed to make the school a more attractive option for the next round of conference realignment. Along with allowing assistant coaches to be paid more, UH opened $128 million TDECU Stadium last September and has plans for a $20 million football-only indoor practice facility.

More Information

Staff salaries

A look at the annual salaries for the nine full-time assistant football coaches on the University of Houston staff:

Coach Position Years Value

Todd Orlando Defensive coordinator/linebackers 2 $501,000

Major Applewhite Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 2 $301,000

Craig Naivar Asst. head coach/co-defensive coordinator/safeties 1 $301,000

Derek Warehime Offensive line 1 $205,000

Oscar Giles Assistant head coach/defensive line 1 $201,000

Jason Washington Special teams coordinator/cornerbacks 1 $176,000

Corby Meekins Tight ends/fullbacks 1 $161,000

Kenith Pope Running backs 1 $151,000

Drew Mehringer Wide receivers 1 $116,000

Source: University of Houston

Where they stand in SEC and Big 12

A look at where the University of Houston's $2.113 million would rank in assistant coach salary pool in select Power 5 conferences. Note: Figures for schools, other than UH, are for 2014 and do not include private universities:

SEC (in millions of dollars)

LSU $5.499

Alabama $5.213

Auburn $4.370

Texas A&M $3.484

South Carolina $3.333

Georgia $3.327

Tennessee $3.265

Florida $3.225

Arkansas $3.218

Missouri $3.169

Kentucky $2.715

Mississippi State $2.682

Mississippi $2.596

Houston $2.113

Big 12 (in millions of dollars)

Oklahoma $4.077

Texas $3.841

West Virginia $2.884

Oklahoma State $2.837

Kansas State $2.813

Texas Tech $2.155

Houston $2.113

Iowa State $2.110

Kansas $2.105

 

Source: USA Today, Houston Chronicle research

 

"I think it's no mistake that at some point we aspire to be in a Power 5 conference," Herman said this week to a group of UH supporters at the Touchdown Club of Houston luncheon.

read more:  http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/article/Football-coaching-staff-s-pay-part-of-UH-s-6416369.php

I like this quote:

"It's very hard to prove you're ready to be a Power 5 school if coaches are regularly using your program as a steppingstone to better jobs," Donnelly said.

[North Texas Shep]

I hope UH never makes P5. Although, they have a better chance than us if they win and we do not. If we stay G5 forever I would not care, as long as we compete.

[Aldo]

Dude, they've earned it.

[Ben Gooding]

Dude, they've earned it.

?

[Aldo]

?

The all around effort that UH Athletics has put forth to getting and putting up money. Leading to better branding, better coaches, better recruitment, better standards, etc, in a G5 environment. 

 

[Ben Gooding]

So because they throw money at it they have earned it?  Naahhh. 

[Aldo]

I thought the formula was throwing money at things = Good school

But in all seriousness, first they were able to get that money/support. Not sure if we're there yet.

[HoustonEagle]

So because they throw money at it they have earned it?  Naahhh.

It's a chicken and egg thing but basically yes.  They have far more alumni contributions than we have and that speaks to having a better program.  I will say it until I am blue in the face.  We will amount to little in the college football world unless we can find the money.  in the last 15 years we have improved in that regards. We have gone from pathetic to slight less pathetic. 

[Side Show Joe]

Can't blame Houston for trying to protect their staff from getting picked apart by some of the larger universities. Last season they were 8-5 with a bowl win over Pitt. We did something like this after Mac won the HOD, only on a much smaller scale. It didn't work so well for us. We still lost a few coaches, and went 4-8 last season.

I highly doubt the pay increase will get Houston any closer to a P5 invitation, and I'm not sure Houston has earned it either. Utah, Louisville and TCU scored BCS bowl wins, and Rutgers played in the first college football game ever. Houston has none of those advantages or accomplishments.