Big bonuses in store for coaches in NCAA men's and women's basketball tournament regionals
One of the lowest-paid men’s basketball coaches at a Power Five public school, North Carolina’s Hubert Davis could make up some of that ground this weekend when the Tar Heels play in the NCAA Tournament East Regionals in Philadelphia.
If the eighth-seeded Tar Heels can get past No. 4 seed UCLA and then either Purdue or Saint Peter’s, the first-year head coach will collect $400,000 in bonuses — the most any coach in either the men’s or the women’s tournament can pick as the events narrow to the Elite Eight and Final Four.
Davis, whose basic pay for this season is $1.8 million, already has attained $175,000 in bonuses.
The weekend’s next-highest payday could belong to another first-year head coach: Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, who could add $225,000.
South Carolina’s Dawn Staley — an NCAA championship-winning coach who is making nearly $900,000 more than Davis is this season — has the next-greatest available total for getting from the round of 16 to the Final Four in either event at $200,000.
Purdue men’s coach Matt Painter could end up with more than $200,000, but his total for getting through the weekend is not established by his contract. If the Boilermakers reach the Elite Eight, the agreement calls for a bonus that is to be determined by university president Mitch Daniels in consultation with athletics director Mike Bobinski, but is guaranteed to be at least $142,344. Painter’s bonus for moving on to the Final Four would be $47,448.
Meantime, another women’s coach, North Carolina State’s Wes Moore, could end up as the weekend’s biggest winner in the long run. In addition to $100,000 in bonuses, he could qualify for $100,000 in pay increases, beginning next season, on top of the $50,000 increase he already has secured. With a contract that’s set to run through April 30, 2028 because of incentive-based extensions he earned in prior years, Moore could end up adding $600,000 in potential long-term value if the No. 1 seed Wolfpack can beat Notre Dame and then either Connecticut or Indiana in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
To this point, the overall leader in bonus money this season is Tennessee men’s coach Rick Barnes, who picked up $1 million before the third-seeded Volunteers lost in the second round to 11th-seeded Michigan. But Arkansas men’s coach Eric Musselman has gained the most lucrative automatic contract extension, a one-year addition that could be worth at least $4.1 million.
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Below is a school-by-school list for all coaches, alphabetical by school within each tournament, of bonus amounts achieved so far this season and amounts available in the regional semifinals and finals.
Except as noted, the list does not take into account contingencies that could alter or prevent payment of bonuses, such as academic achievement by players, the coach's departure from the school, future investigations and/or sanctions related to rules violations. It also does not include bonuses for national coach-of-the-year honors not yet announced, team academic performance, attendance, season-ticket sales, or the value of tickets or perks tied to tournament participation.
Amounts for coaches at private schools are not available because those institutions are not required to release their employment contracts.
MEN
Arizona, Tommy Lloyd
Has: $235,000
Can get:
►$50,000: Advance to round of eight
►$175,000: Advance to Final Four
Arkansas, Eric Musselman
Has: $250,000 in bonuses. $100,000 pay increase beginning next season and one-year contract extension worth at least $4.1 million ($2.87 million guaranteed)
Can get:
►$100,000: Advance to Final Four
Houston, Kelvin Sampson
Has: $105,000 in bonuses. $100,000 pay increase, beginning next season
Can get:
►50,000: Advance to Final Four
Iowa State, T.J. Otzelberger
Has: $150,000
Can get:
►$50,000: Advance to round of eight
►$50,000: Advance to Final Four
Kansas, Bill Self
Has: $225,000
Can get:
►$150,000: Advance to Final Four
Michigan, Juwan Howard
Has: $100,000
Can get:
►$100,000: Advance to Final Four
North Carolina, Hubert Davis
Has: $175,000
Can get:
►$200,000: Advance to round of eight
►$200,000: Advance to Final Four
Purdue, Matt Painter
Has: $118,620*
Can get:
►$47,448 plus an amount to be determined by the university’s president in consultation with the athletics director, but no less than $94,896: Advance to round of eight
►$47,448: Advance to Final Four
*Does not include $50,000 that Painter can get based on combination of team finishing third in the Big Ten Conference regular-season standings and winning at least one game in the NCAA Tournament if, in addition, the team’s grade-point average for this academic year meets certain standards.
Texas Tech, Mark Adams
Has: $145,000
Can get*:
►$50,000: Advance to round of eight
►$100,000: Advance to Final Four
*Does not include $20,000 that Adams can get if team is in top 10 of final KenPom rankings in offensive efficiency or defensive efficiency (as of March 21, Texas Tech was first in defensive efficiency).
UCLA, Mick Cronin
Has: $75,000
Can get:
►$25,000: Advance to round of eight
►$25,000: Advance to Final Four
WOMEN
Connecticut, Geno Auriemma
Has: $150,000
Can get:
►$50,000: Advance to round of eight
►$50,000: Advance to Final Four
Indiana, Teri Moren
Has: $93,750
Can get:
►$46,875: Advance to round of eight
►$46,875: Advance to Final Four
Iowa State, Bill Fennelly
Has: $50,000
Can get:
►$25,000: Advance to round of eight
►$25,000: Advance to Final Four
Louisville, Jeff Walz
Has: $50,000
Can get:
►$20,000: Advance to round of eight
►$100,000: Advance to Final Four
Maryland, Brenda Frese
Has: $130,000
Can get:
►$75,000: Advance to round of eight
►$50,000: Advance to Final Four
Michigan, Kim Barnes Arico
Has: $90,000
Can get:
►$30,000: Advance to round of eight
►$30,000: Advance to Final Four
North Carolina, Courtney Banghart
Has: $60,000
Can get:
►$40,000: Advance to round of eight
►$100,000: Advance to Final Four
North Carolina State, Wes Moore
Has: $210,000 in bonuses. $50,000 pay increase, beginning next season
Can get:
►$50,000, plus additional $25,000 pay increase: Advance to round of eight
►$50,000, plus additional $75,000 pay increase: Advance to Final Four
Ohio State, Kevin McGuff
Has: $60,000 in bonuses. One-year contract extension worth at least $1,020,860 (not guaranteed)
Can get:
►$20,000: Advance to round of eight
►$20,000: Advance to Final Four
South Carolina, Dawn Staley
Has: $180,000
Can get:
►$50,000: Advance to round of eight
►$150,000: Advance to Final Four
South Dakota, Dawn Plitzuweit
Has: $20,000*
Can get*:
►$5,000: Advance to round of eight
►$5,000: Advance to Final Four
*Does not include $18,000 already secured in what contract calls “promotional merchandise bonus” from Adidas that could increase by $15,000 if team advances to round of eight. The university says this is in the form of Adidas merchandise, at retail value, not cash.
Tennessee, Kellie Harper
Has: $40,000
Can get:
►$20,000: Advance to round of eight
►$20,000: Advance to Final Four
Texas, Vic Schaefer
Has: $150,000
Can get:
►$25,000: Advance to round of eight
►$25,000: Advance to Final Four
Contributing: Frederick Wilkes III
Follow colleges reporter Steve Berkowitz on Twitter @ByBerkowitz