Impressive raises for football assistants

USF coach Jim Leavitt's seven assistants who returned from last season all got raises of at least 25 percent, according to salary figures released by the school Sunday night.

Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham remains USF's highest-paid assistant, due to earn $220,000 this season, but the biggest raises went to the assistants who had been the lowest-paid on the staff. Tight ends coach Larry Scott, entering his second season as a full-time assistant, earned an 80 percent raise to $90,000, and second-year offensive line coach Mike Simmonds jumped 54 percent to $100,000.

Scott and first-year defensive ends coach Kevin Patrick are now the only full-time assistants on Leavitt's staff not making $100,000 or more. In addition to Burnham, three other assistants -- offensive coordinator Greg Gregory, recruiting coordinator Carl Franks and receivers coach Mike Canales -- are making $150,000 or more.

Leavitt has negotiated raises to the assistant salary pool into two contract extensions in the last three years. Former assistant Rich Rachel, who was moved to a non-coaching position as director of high school relations, took a $45,000 pay cut to $50,000.

All three of men's basketball Stan Heath's assistants also make six figures, but none got raises from last season. Top assistant Dan Hipsher, who will earn $135,000 this season, had looked to have a $10,000 raise from his reported salary last year, but USF said Monday his salary was the same last year.

Comments

[CW]

good thing their salaries are paid by boosters. All of the state's employees are facing layoffs/no raises. Pretty funny, but sports seem to be impermeable to the market conditions

[Tom]

It's about time they got a raise, hopefully we won't lose any more coaches.

[Reality]

Glad to hear Reggie and Byron are keeping their jobs, shame they couldnt get a raise. Sounds like Dad did what he had to do.

[BullSchmutz]

G.A.,

Thanks. I was just wondering today how the new influx of money was affecting the program. If possible, can you do a story on how much new money USF has and whats being done with it?

[DELdaBULL]

I guess Heath felt Reggie and Byron did not earn a raise.

I bet McCarney wishes he would have stayed in Tampa.

Good post BullSchmutz. I would like to know what is being done with the new influx. I had non donor season tickets for five years on the visitors tunnel next to the students section. Absolutely loved the seats, but was forced to move due to the expansion of the students section. My wife and I chose seats with a $2,000 donation because those were the only ones we could see ourselves in and be happy with in the future.

Hopefully they don't go 5-7 and all of the students bail out next year leaving the stadium half empty costing me my old seats and $2,000.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

What does McCarney make at UF??

I have to believe that Charlie Strong is making 400+ in Gainesville

I could be way off though.

Nice to see the boys make a decent check for the level that they are at in their profession.

[Jim]

Nice to see, that only improves CJL ability to attrack top flight assistants. It is important that they are paid well, so when we criticize them that we expect results because they are paid for results.

[Dave W]

Hmm, just like Leavitt's extension, the timing is callous. If I understand correctly, though, assistants are on annual, renewable contracts, right? And the money is raised entirely by the department, so it doesn't really take away from academics.

However, it may be nice for those guys to donate something back to the school to pay for supplies for TAs and whatnot. No matter what the source and nature of the money is, it is going to be very hard to convince the faculty and non-football fan students that these were deserved.

From a football standpoint, these raises were extremely well deserved, and hopefully can create more continuity as we build our best recruiting class yet and develop more and more NFL players. Not that a TA who has to buy his/her own class printouts is going to care...

Has anyone noticed that these new blogs on CFN are really bashing the heck out of the Big East? Most of it stems from the lack of tradition. I e-mailed one of them to ask him when "tradition" ever won a game.

[Tad]

Wasn't some of the money made from the bowl game?

[PC]

Nice to see that some positions are recession proof. I should have gone into "sports".

[mms]

I wish my employer gave me the same % raise as the football coaches got.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

The debate between paying TA's and what not - and paying the football coach is like apples and oranges.

They are totally separate deals.

In fact, it says a lot about the ability of the hard working fundraising department to bring in the funds to build a big time football program in very hard economic times.

So spare me the "pay the coach and not the teacher" hog wash.

[Reality]

Teachers are a dime a dozen. USF has proven time and again that sports is a win at all costs type of endeavor at USF. Criminals going to a university be damned!

[Reality]

Greg, can you help us out with the truth regarding Riek? Dick "Hoops"
Weiss gets alot of things wrong in his old age, so I need confirmation from the best blogger in this area. Did Riek sign with an agent? If so, the African Express stops with AKOL for this trip.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/weiss/2008/07/eastern-invitational-elite-cam.html

[Don Corleone]

Check out the preview of the 2008 Bulls Football Media Guide. Scroll to the picture of Nate Allen running back an INT vs. West Virginia, and look at Rodriguez’s facial expression…classic RR! The close up of Selvie intercepting a handoff vs. UCF is extremely tight. Use the link on the right and go to gousfbulls.com and see for yourself.

I wonder how that puts them in comparison to the rest of the BE coaching staffs ? I know USF was way below everyone else for a few years.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

You really do have to look at the picture in the media guide of Rich Rod after Nate Allen picked that pass off in the West Va game. It really could be the funniest picture in USF history.

What a classic. Guy looks like he is going to cry.

Greg, we need a story.

So Funny.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

actually the caption in the picture says that it is a fumble return.

Still hilarious.

[Terry Lucas]

When people start working the hours those assistants are working, then they should start talking salaries. I've been working 15-18 hour days for the last three years... and I know that anyone working for Leavitt is in that ballpark. They very much earn every penny that is being paid to them. Congrats Larry and Mike... hardwork does pay off...

[jarred]

Burnham deserves every penny!

they earned that raise usf will be a powerhouse in a couple of years