The financial damage of the COVID-19 pandemic to college athletics forced schools to seek support from their highest-paid employees. Men's college basketball coaches were among those asked to take pay cuts or deferrals of salaries to help offset the losses due to reduced fan attendance, lost games and other casualties during the unprecedented season.
Another part of the financial equation between the schools and the men's basketball coaches is the status of their bonuses. Some were left untouched. Some were reduced or eliminated. The truncated season last year meant that potential payouts were lost because conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament weren't played. To address this, some schools were willing stipulate achievements on the assumption that games were played. Others got creative.
A look at some of the interesting bonus situations from last season.
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Coaches paid bonuses for tournament
There was a legal dilemma for schools when the NCAA Tournament was called off last year. What do you do about bonus that were to due to coaches that clearly would have made the field? Do you pay them for an appearance that never happened or do you not reward them for a season worthy of being in the field?
Ten schools decided on the former option, allowing their respective coaches to cash in.
Bobby Hurley, Arizona State – $75,000
Tony Bennett, Virginia – $50,000
Greg Gard, Wisconsin – $50,000
Bruce Pearl, Auburn – $50,000
Mike White, Florida – $37,500
Dana Altman, Oregon – $25,000
Tom Izzo, Michigan State – $25,000
Steve Pikiell, Rutgers – $25,000
Mark Turgeon, Maryland – $25,000
Brad Underwood, Illinois – $25,000
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