Big Red Business: The cost of coaching changes

If Nebraska makes a widely expected football coaching change after Friday’s regular-season finale against Iowa, here’s what it could cost: About $11.28 million.

That’s approximately how much Nebraska would owe head coach Mike Riley, his nine assistant coaches, plus head strength and conditioning coach Mark Philipp, and executive director of personnel Billy Devaney.

The largest chunk -- more than $6.63 million-- would be paid to Riley through the term of his contract that expires in February 2021.

Payouts to the nine assistant coaches, plus Philipp, would amount to about $4.58 million on contracts that mostly run through January 2019. Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Danny Langsdorf would have the richest payouts among the assistants.

Devaney, who is a non-contract employee of the university, would receive $76,311, which represents 90 days’ salary. He earns $305,250.

The buyout information comes mainly from a review of the publicly available coaching contracts provided by the University of Nebraska to HuskerOnline.com.

However, the $11-million-plus in termination payouts doesn’t tell the whole story of athletics department payouts.

Nebraska is on the hook to pay former athletic director Shawn Eichorst about $1.7 million worth of monthly payments through June 3, 2019 under the terms of his contract, which was also released by the university. That amounts to a monthly check of $81,083 through the terms of the agreement, subject to mitigation should he land a new job.

Eichorst, who was fired in late September, has already been paid $712,500 in deferred compensation, university officials confirmed.

In addition, former football head coach Bo Pelini continues to receive monthly checks of $128,009 from the university, through February 2019, according to university records. Pelini was let go immediately after the 2014 regular season, and was replaced by Riley, who left Oregon State for the Nebraska job.

While Pelini’s severance payout from Nebraska was reduced after he became head coach at Youngstown State in Ohio, his 15 or so remaining monthly installment payments still amount to $1.92 million.

The university no longer owes severance to Pelini’s staff. Likewise, the university confirmed it no longer is paying former Nebraska women’s basketball head coach Connie Yori, who was fired after the 2015-2016 season.

If you add the remaining Eichorst and Pelini obligations to Riley and the current staff, what’s the ballpark number?

Nearly $15 million.

If scheduled raises in 2018 for Diaco, cornerbacks coach Donte Williams, and linebackers coach Trent Bray are taken into account, the overall payout total would be slightly higher. There’s also the cost of healthcare and life insurance benefits.

Then there’s the buy side -- the cost to the university of hiring Riley’s replacement plus assistant coaches. It’s all speculation at this point.

For example, if Nebraska hires Scott Frost as its new head coach, what might they owe the University of Central Florida? Frost -- who has a $2 million salary and is under contract through the 2021 season -- has a buyout clause valued at $3 million, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen, also rumored to be a candidate at several schools, including Nebraska, makes $4.5 million annually under a contract that runs through February 2021. No information was available on a buyout clause.

Iowa State’s Matt Campbell is another hot head coach prospect. His salary is about $1.2 million on a contract that runs through 2021. However, his buyout after this season would be an astounding $9.4 million.

There will also be 10 full-time football assistants starting next year, up from 9, meaning one more invoice for salary and benefits. Nebraska’s 9 coaches earn a total of $3.697 million in 2017, so figure another $250,000 to $350,000 for the addition of the 10th full-time coach in 2018.

The athletic department, one of the few in the nation that turns a profit, certainly has the cash in reserve to cover severance and salaries. Previous HuskerOnline stories have detailed the approximately $50 million-plus in new money coming into its coffers from Big 10 conference revenue sharing and television package, plus its new shoe and apparel contract with Adidas.

So, money should not be a problem.

That said, the university has other payment options it can use, especially if the severance squeezes other parts of the athletic department’s budget along with any planned expansion projects.

While university human resources officials answered specific questions about coaching contracts, an athletic department spokesman declined public comments on speculation swirling around the football coaching staff. In addition, representatives from other university athletic departments declined to comment on the structure of Nebraska’s buyout package.

Here are more details from the coaching contracts.

In January, Riley’s contract was extended for one additional year to Feb. 28, 2021. His base salary is $2.9 million, but it’s scheduled to climb to $3 million in 2018, and $3.1 million in 2019, according to his contract

Under his buyout provision, Riley would receive $170,000 a month through his contract terms, mitigated by any salary earned through a new job, according to the contract His 39 monthly installments amount to $6.63 million over the life of his contract.

Riley’s buyout, at least for now, would fall in between those that may be paid to Florida’s Jim McElwain and Tennessee’s Butch Jones. Both coaches were dismissed in recent weeks.

Tennessee will pay Jones about $8.2 million, but that figure may be mitigated by any salary Jones earnings from his next job, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Jones will be paid in monthly installments until Feb. 28, 2021, according to contract terms.

At Florida, the amount owed McElwain is still unclear. According to news reports, Florida may wind up paying McElwain just $4 million of the nearly $13 million that might be contractually due, news reports said.

The payout has become an issue partly because of claims by McElwain that he, his family, and players have been subjected to death threats -- threats that the former coach allegedly kept from university officials.

After McElwain mentioned the threats to the media, the university asked him for details. But he didn’t provide any.

The university reportedly has reached a settlement in principle with McElwain, but has not formalized it.

According to clauses in the assistant coaches’ contracts, if the head coach “voluntarily resigns or retires, the university shall be released and discharged from all obligations to pay the (assistant) coach any form of compensation.”

But should the head coach and full-time staff be let go, the university “will continue to pay the (assistant) coach’s monthly salary through the end period of time that would have comprised the (contract) term had the coach not been terminated,” the clause states.

Those monthly payments, however, would be mitigated by any salary the assistant earns through a new job.

That’s essentially the same payout schedule the university used when Pelini’s staff was let go. As assistants took positions at other schools, it lightened the load owed by Nebraska.

Here are contract details for Riley’s staff:

*Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco: He was hired early this year at a base salary of $825,000, or $68,750 a month. He’s scheduled for an annual salary raise to $875,000, or $72,916 a month, starting Feb. 1, 2018. Diaco’s contract runs through Jan. 31, 2019.

*Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Danny Langsdorf: His base salary of $500,000, or $41,666 a month, is set to run through Jan. 31, 2019.

*Offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh: He currently earns $450,000, or $37,500 monthly, through Jan. 31, 2019.

*Linebackers coach Trent Bray: His base salary of $400,000 annually, or $33,333 monthly, is scheduled to climb to $425,000, or $35,416 monthly, in February 2018. Bray’s contract runs through Jan. 31, 2019.

*Cornerbacks coach Donte Williams: His base salary is $400,000, or $33,333 monthly. Williams contract calls for a raise to $425,000 in February 2018. His contract runs through Jan. 31, 2019.

*Receivers coach Keith Williams: He earns $400,000 in base salary, or $33,333 monthly, through Jan. 31, 2019.

*Running backs coach Reggie Davis: His annual base salary is $350,000, or $29,166 monthly, through Jan. 31, 2019.

*Defensive line coach John Parrella: His annual base salary of $272,500, or $22,708 monthly, runs through Jan. 31, 2019.

*Safeties and special teams coach Scott Booker. Officially hired in June, Booker’s salary is $100,000, or $8,333 monthly, through Jan. 31, 2018.

In addition, strength and conditioning coach Mark Philipp receives a base salary of $225,000, or $18,750 a month, through Jan. 31, 2019.

While most benefits and perks would be eliminated, the assistants would continue to receive medical, dental and life insurance coverage.

Questions, comments, story ideas? Steve Rosen covers the business of sports for HuskerOnline.com. Reach Steve at sbrosen1030@gmail.com.