This Needs to be Explained

[riflearm2]

College football coaching contracts almost always end in December, January, or February. Why? Because coaches are usually let go towards the end of the season or shortly thereafter. It allows the opportunity for a new coach to recruit in that class and coach spring ball with his new team. By having contracts end at the end of December, January, or February, if a coach is let go (which mostly happens near or at the end of a season), a school doesn't have to keep paying that coach through the spring and summer considering they would have already hired (and started paying) a new head coach.

Let's look at the contract expiration dates for C-USA coaches:

Tyson Helton (WKU): 2/28
Lane Kiffin (FAU): 12/31
Rick Stockstill (MTSU): 12/31
Bobby Wilder (ODU): 1/31
Butch Davis (FIU): 12/15
Skip Holtz (LA Tech): 6/30
Dana Dimel (UTEP): couldn't find it
Frank Wilson (UTSA): 12/31
Bill Clark (UAB): 5/31
Seth Littrell (North Texas): 1/31
Mike Bloomgren (Rice): 2/28
Will Healy (Charlotte): 12/31
Jay Hopson (Southern Miss): 12/31
Jay Hopson (Southern Miss): 12/31

As you can see, all except for two of them have contract expiration dates in December, January, or February. So let's say Doc doesn't cut it this year but is still retained. Then, say he doesn't get the job done next season. Even if he is fired at the end of the season, allowing a new staff to come in, recruit, and coach spring ball, Doc is still getting paid through June of 2021. His contract ends 6/30.

Is this some sort of state employment situation based on a state fiscal schedule? What is the reason for allowing a contract to expire on 6/30, thus resulting in an extra $400,000 in salary having to be paid when a termination would have already occurred? That's a hell of a nice little bonus to be walking away with.

 

[IslandHerd1]

And nobody will have to answer for it.

Football coaches should probably get less in retirement money as they have such a high income level. Should have to save some of the overpaid salary they receive.

 

[Aaron Perkins]

99 percent sure all state contracts end on 6/30 and the fiscal year starts 7/1

 

[Bankerreturns]

99 percent sure all state contracts end on 6/30 and the fiscal year starts 7/1

That 1% will always get you. I couldn't find Neal Brown's contract, but Holgerson's wvu contract had a 12/31 expiration date.

https://projects.newsday.com/college-football-coaches-salaries-contracts/dana-holgorsen/

 

[riflearm2]

That 1% will always get you. I couldn't find Neal Brown's contract, but Holgerson's wvu contract had a 12/31 expiration date.

https://projects.newsday.com/college-football-coaches-salaries-contracts/dana-holgorsen/

Brown's contract runs through December 31, 2024. His buyout if fired without cause also is based on the 12/31 date.

It would be completely understandable if AP's explanation was accurate, and I even mentioned that in the original post. But now that it doesn't seem like that is the cases, it raises even more questions.

 

[Aaron Perkins]

Seems like Snyder’s was 6/30 as well.

 

[Aaron Perkins]

That 1% will always get you. I couldn't find Neal Brown's contract, but Holgerson's wvu contract had a 12/31 expiration date.

https://projects.newsday.com/college-football-coaches-salaries-contracts/dana-holgorsen/

Yep. Glad I left that 1 percent there!

 

[Bankerreturns]

So the explanation seems to be that Hamrick and Kayo just weren't that smart?

 

[riflearm2]

So the explanation seems to be that Hamrick and Kayo just weren't that smart?

I'm guessing it is one of three things:

1) It has some sort of school/state hiring policy. If so, that's a huge negative for the university. You're basically paying a half year's salary to an ousted coach even if you allow the contract to run through his final season.

2) I wouldn't guess this would be the case, but it could also be a strategic thing. If either Kayo or Hamrick thought they made home run hires that were "can't misses" in terms of big success at Marshall, they may have been gambling that it would allow them another year of getting paid by a school that Snyder/John get hired away to.

For instance, usually a head coach that leaves for another job owes the school some sort of payment for a buyout. Each year of the contract that passes lowers the amount the head coach owes to the school. Since we know most coaches are hired in the December /January period, by putting the contract expiration/renewal at June 30th, it would give the school an additional year of payment on the buyout. If John just finished a season and had two seasons left on his contract, it would still technically be three years since his expiration/renewal doesn't happen until June 30th, so Marshall would steal an additional year in the buyout payment.

I think that is next-level thinking that I'm not sure some of those people would be smart enough to do. On top of that, it wouldn't be very intelligent. If a coach is doing so well that he is hired away to a bigger school, that usually means ticket revenue, donation revenue, bowl payments, etc. are doing very well, so money wouldn't be much of an issue, especially considering you'd be getting a buyout from the head coach on top of that other financial success. If you have to terminate a coach, that means those things (ticket revenue, donations, bowl revenue) is probably severely lacking, so you'd be doubling down on your losses (and stupidity) by then knowing you'll have to ante up an additional year above how many seasons are left on the ousted coach's contract. It wouldn't be a wise move.

3) Snyder was hired in late April. As a result, his contract didn't start at the normal time (December - February), and that trend for whatever reason continued with John's hiring.

My guess is that it is #1, and since the last two wvu coaches had normal expiration dates in their contract, that it is a Marshall issue/requirement. Either way, it fvcks the university, and it would be nice to get some clarification on it from somebody in the know.

 

[herdalicious]

Doc Holliday will never be fired by Marshall University.

Sincerely,
2016

 

[MarshallManiac]

Doc Holliday will never be fired by Marshall University.

Sincerely,
2016

Technically, Snyder wasn't either. He "resigned."

 

[i am herdman]

My guess it allows them to spread their pay out over a longer budget cycle

Or some state worker didn't want to change around paper work and said this is the way we have always done it.

 

[redsfan5590]

It doesn’t need to be explained. The explanation is Mike Hamrick. He’s incompetent.

 

[i am herdman]

It doesn’t need to be explained. The explanation is Mike Hamrick. He’s incompetent.

People say he is the best AD we have ever had.

 

[Sash19]

It doesn’t need to be explained. The explanation is Mike Hamrick. He’s incompetent.

People say he is the best AD we have ever had.

People also claimed the David Koresh kool
aid tasted good...However I will give him some credit. He was able to get some things done for athletics (solo or with a lot of help) that were sorely needed.