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Printing Money at OU
Published: 6/23/2011 1:00 PM
Last Modified: 6/23/2011 1:03 PM

There's nothing much wrong with the incentive bonuses for the football coaches at OU.

Everybody knows a national title is worth, oh, billions. Earn it to get it, fine. The top five ranking bonus for coaches is a little lame, as there is little difference in the hokey BCS between teams number 3 through 33.

Here's the newsworthy item concerning Ft. Knox West, Soonerville: the assistant women's basketball coach will make a salary of $160,000.
Seriously. Up close and actual. Honest to goodness. Somebody is getting paid $160,000 to what, fill the basketballs with air?

OU women's coach Coale and Stoops have taken similar paths to being at least slightly overrated -- skyrocketing to the top thanks to one great player, Heupel for Stoops, guard Dales for Coale, both, almost in another time. But having been there some while ago beats never having been there before. Give the head coaches all the bread they can carry.

But $160,000 for an assistant women's basketball coach?

Here's the good news to come from that. It's proof that they don't need any more money down there.






Reader Comments 14 Total
SWC (last year)
no wonder this column is produced anonymously...
OU68 (last year)
Picker, I know you don't watch women's basketball, and I'm really sorry that the newspaper is in the toilet and you didn't get a raise. But you do realize that Coale and her assistants brought the program back from the grave?
The Picker (last year)
Actually, we just got a raise, thanks for asking.
dcood (last year)
OU68: And...who cares? The bottom line is there is one sport at OU that buoys all the other ones and that is the case at most bigtime schools. Some MENS hoops programs turn a profit (KY, UNC, Duke, UCONN) but many are in the red just like all the minor sports(mens and womens). So the point is the salaries should at least attempt to match up with the money they make for the school...isnt that kind of business 101? And yes, womens hoops at OU loses big $$, especially when the head lady sooner makes over a million dollars!!
                    
OU68 (last year)
So if the sport is losing money the coach should be paying the school?

Sherri Coale of Oklahoma also ranks with the highest paid coaches in women's basketball. Receiving a base salary of $550,000, additional bonuses and incentives could earn her more than $700,000. Coale has been the head coach of the Lady Sooners since the 1996-97 season and has built a consistent winner. Her team has been to the NCAA tournament for 11 consecutive seasons heading into 2010-11.

The big money the football programs bring in has done wonders for the college program (see USC, tOSU, UA).
                    
OU68 (last year)
So if a sport is losing money the coach should give up their salary? Business 101, really? How many schools have one sport that makes money, much less more than one? Oh yeah, and the big bucks have done wonders for college football, USC tOSU and UA come to mind...
Atticus (last year)
Pick:
Ask Gary Gibbs, Howard S. and John Blake if there is a difference between being ranked No 3 or No. 33. If you are not ranked in the Top 25 at OU in football, or perhaps even in the top 10, you won't be coaching football.
The Picker (last year)
Point.
OU68 (last year)
Business 101, maybe - but guess you missed the marketing courses. Talk to Joe C - tell him you'll replace Sherrie for 100K, let me know how that works out for ya.
dcood (last year)
Ill repeat, who cares? It is still a money pit. I cant explain why we decided D1 coaches should be paid more than heart surgeons or people who actually make a difference in lives. But back to the original point: how is the salary justifiable when the product of said head coach loses money? If you put that in a paper in any business or marketing class, you would receive an F.
OU68 (last year)
I get it that you don't like the coaches salaries and I have to agree that they seem exorbitant (but paltry compared to many CEOs). My point is that this what the market is. Why do you think we paid what we did for Kruger? Last I heard, the men's bball team wasn't funding a new fieldhouse.
The Picker (last year)
To repeat, an OU assistant women's basketball coach makes $160,000.

Please.
Da5id (last year)
From the assistant coach's perspective, the business model could be: get a job, any job, for a program that has a successful season. Then strike it rich landing a vacant head coach slot. The ladder of open slots beckons.

A cynic might think that some of that assistant coach manna could be used to influence a prized recruit.

But that would be wrong.
Dr. Strangelove (last year)
I she cute? I haven't seen a picture. That could play a factor.
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Out Pick The Picker

The Picker began entertaining – and infuriating – sports fans in 1993. Each week during football season, he writes about his picks of college and NFL games in his Thursday Sports column. He's never afraid of sharing his opinions about the game and the personalities who play it. Readers have a chance to go against him each season in the Outpick the Picker contest. He welcomes the competition.

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