Why do college coaches get guaranteed contracts?

leitaoWhy do coaches get paid after they’re fired? Is there any other profession that works like this other than golden parachutes for CEOs, which is also absurd.

Frankly, it seems like a job lots of guys would want and one you could fill relatively easily without such guarantees. So why do colleges feel the need to pay millions even after they fire a coach?

UVA has again parted ways with its head basketball coach. Dave Leitao resigned Monday. More likely, the athletic director told him he was not coming back and let him take the graceful exit. For his coaching efforts, Leitao will get $2 million for sitting on the couch next year and the year after.

The same thing happened five years ago when they fired Pete Gillen. I think he’s still making $1 million a year and hasn’t touched the hard court in half a decade.

Can anyone explain this system? Is there such a paucity of coaches that an ACC program such as UVA has to offer guaranteed money?

leitaoWhy do coaches get paid after they’re fired? Is there any other profession that works like this other than golden parachutes for CEOs, which is also absurd.

Frankly, it seems like a job lots of guys would want and one you could fill relatively easily without such guarantees. So why do colleges feel the need to pay millions even after they fire a coach?

UVA has again parted ways with its head basketball coach. Dave Leitao resigned Monday. More likely, the athletic director told him he was not coming back and let him take the graceful exit. For his coaching efforts, Leitao will get $2 million for sitting on the couch next year and the year after.

The same thing happened five years ago when they fired Pete Gillen. I think he’s still making $1 million a year and hasn’t touched the hard court in half a decade.

Can anyone explain this system? Is there such a paucity of coaches that an ACC program such as UVA has to offer guaranteed money?

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Daniel Durazo
Daniel Durazo
15 years ago

Funny, Gary Williams hasn’t been in this boat. Go Terps!

Morgan
Morgan
15 years ago

That is ludicrous. How ludicrous?

$2 million = 215 years of in-state UVA tuition

$2 million = 53 in-state undergraduate degrees

$2 million = 67.5 years of out-of-state UVA tuition

Blackbeered
Blackbeered
15 years ago

Maybe it’s because it’s not the school’s money, but the taxpayers’ that’s being wasted?

[Don’t give me this garbage about “separate pots”.]