Just read some interesting salary figures in the local news publications:
1) Jim Christian leaves Ohio University after two years to double his salary from about $500,000 to $1 million. Who can blame him (except maybe the players and fans)?
2) Saul Phillips arrives to a $550,000 base salary after having just signed a five-year $175,000 extension at North Dakota State. If that was his actual salary and not just an add-on, who can blame him for reneging on a contract?
For a report on the rewards being reaped by NCAA coaches, see a recent USA Today article called “Special report: Coaches hit jackpot in NCAA system.”
Also enlightening is a Deadspin map showing the highest-paid state employees titled “Infographic: Is Your State’s Highest-Paid Employee A Coach? (Probably).” At least 40 are coaches, although a few college presidents managed to sneak in.
None of this information about skewed university priorities and escalating coaches’ salaries is new, but what struck me this time is a report today that OU hopes to add five new police officers for about $340,000. This leads me to conclude that the cost of five people (plus one bomb-sniffing dog) who are charged with campus safety won’t buy you one football or basketball coach, or even a college president. Whether that accurately reflects OU’s priorities I leave for others to decide.
Barry Thomas is a professor emeritus of German at Ohio University.
