SEC coaching economics

I notice that Auburn just gave Gus Malzahn a big raise that makes him the highest paid offensive coordinator in the SEC at $500,000 per year.  That’s interesting to me for two reasons.  First, while that’s a sum that’s nothing to sneer at, it’s still considerably less than is being paid out under the new defensive coordinator contracts just handed out all over the conference.  Second (and somewhat related to the first point), Auburn is the only school in the SEC I can verify that’s paying its offensive coordinator 25% more than it’s paying its defensive coordinator.

Some of that disparity can no doubt be attributed to several conference programs having head coaches who serve as their de facto offensive coordinators to a large extent.  Still, things are what they are, and, if anything, based on the last two months, the spread is even more pronounced than it was before.

Why do you think that is?

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One down, one to go in Gainesville

Hitting women is contemptible, but doing so when you’re on scholarship at a program that’s oversigned is really, really stupid as well.

Music to my ears

Yes, God knows talk is cheap, but I still love hearing stuff like this from the new coaches (in this case, Warren Belin):

“We’re going to coach all our linebackers, Coach Grantham and I both, we’re going to work on the basic fundamentals we need to succeed in this 3-4 defense. Our philosophies are very, very similar, which is doing a great job with the fundamentals, and whether you’re an inside or outside linebacker, just playing with speed, being great tacklers and being productive players, whether you’re playing inside or outside. There is a difference. Obviously outside linebackers are going to be coming off the edge and bringing a lot of pressure, but we’re also going to be bringing pressure with the inside linebackers as well. So I think if you look at the two positions, they’re going to go hand-in-hand on a lot of things. But there is a scheme thing that’s going to have to be separate for our guys to be fundamentally sound.”

Fundamentally sound linebackers.  I can’t wait.