Source: USA TODAY
Sure, Monday night’s Bowl Championship Series national title game is about the crystal football trophy, rings and the chance to say, “We’re No. 1.”
But as with everything in major-college sports, it’s also about the money.
And for the Florida State and Auburn coaching staffs, the money is considerable.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn alone can get an additional $625,000 in bonus money with a win, and each of his nine on-field assistants can get an amount equal to 9% of their base salaries.
Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher can get an additional $325,000 with a win Monday night; his assistants have varying bonus arrangements, but most of them reached their maximums with team playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game and getting to the BCS title game.
Fisher and Malzahn also are heading for much bigger payoffs in the form of new contracts. Fisher’s deal was released Sunday by Florida State, and it showed he will be getting $3.6 million next season — an $850,000 raise over his pay for this season — as part a five-year deal worth about $20 million. Auburn has announced that Malzahn will be getting $3.85 million next season (he was making $2.44 million this season) and receiving $250,000 raises in each of his new agreement’s remaining five years.
Before all of that takes effect, however:
Malzahn already has racked up $575,000 in bonuses:
•$125,000 for having 12 wins this season.
•$100,000 for playing in the Southeastern Conference championship game.
•$150,000 for winning the SEC title.
•$100,000 for being named SEC coach of the year.
•$100,000 for being named national coach of the year.
Win or lose, he is virtually assured of another $100,000 — an amount he’ll get if the Tigers are in the top five of the final USA TODAY Coaches’ or Associated Press rankings.
But he’ll get $500,000 for winning the national title, plus another $25,000 for a 13th win.
Fisher already has gained $225,000 in bonuses:
•$50,000 for winning an Atlantic Coast Conference division championship.
•$50,000 for winning the ACC title.
•$125,000 for playing in the BCS title game.
He is all but certain of another $50,000, which he’ll get if the Seminoles are in the top 10 of the final AP rankings. If they are in the top five, he would get another $100,000 instead.
He’ll get $125,000 for winning the national title, plus another $100,000 for having an undefeated season.
Most of Florida State’s assistants received fixed amounts ($5,000 or $7,500) for the Seminoles reaching in the ACC title game, plus an amount equivalent to two months’ base salary for reaching the BCS title game.
Auburn’s assistant coaches already have earned $30,000 apiece for winning the SEC title, plus an amount equal to 16% of their base salaries for reaching the BCS title game. The latter amount will be increased to 25% of base salary if the Tigers win the BCS title. (The assistants’ base salaries range from $250,000 for two members of the staff, to $800,000 for defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.) Each Auburn assistant is eligible for another, discretionary bonus of as much as $10,000. Altogether, Auburn’s assistants could end up with nearly $1.25 million in additional pay.
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