USA Today Les Miles raise and bonus BCS winner

since ala. and saban are alcoholic coin chasers, I hope Les Miles wins and tops ala. and saban this year and next, see below.



Postseason figures to pay off for LSU's Les Miles
By Steve Berkowitz and Jodi Upton, USA TODAYUpdated 3h 9m ago Comments 11 Reprints & PermissionsLSU football coach Les Miles can win more than the Southeastern Conference championship Saturday.


By Gerald Herbert, AP
LSU coach Les Miles could pocket millions in bonuses and pay increases if the Tigers win the national championship.
EnlargeCloseBy Gerald Herbert, AP
LSU coach Les Miles could pocket millions in bonuses and pay increases if the Tigers win the national championship.
He can move within one step of a potential $6.5 million in bonuses and future pay increases, according to a USA TODAY review of his and other coaches' contracts.

Miles is among dozens of coaches and athletics directors with lucrative bonuses connected to games this weekend that will determine the BCS lineup and to participation in bowl games. The bonuses are in addition to guaranteed compensation that makes coaches and ADs many of the highest-paid employees not only in the financially stressed world of higher education but also in public service.

INTERACTIVE: USA TODAY's coaches salary database
If No. 1-ranked LSU defeats Georgia in the SEC title game in Atlanta, it will advance to the Bowl Championship Series national title game. A BCS national title for LSU would trigger a provision in Miles' contract requiring his compensation to be "no less than the highest salary of public institutions within the SEC, plus $1,000."

The SEC's highest salary belongs to Alabama's Nick Saban, whose No. 2-ranked team likely would be LSU's BCS title-game opponent. Saban's basic compensation this season is $4.15 million, Miles' $3.751 million. But Saban's deal includes an additional annual payment of more than $530,000; also, his basic compensation will increase on Feb. 1, three weeks after the title game.

Depending on how Miles' and Saban's contracts are interpreted, that could make this season's BCS championship worth at least $2.4 million — and possibly nearly $6 million — over the remaining six years of Miles' deal, plus the $500,000 in postseason incentive bonuses he would get for the 2011 campaign. (He could get another $200,000 bonus depending on the team's academic performance.)

Regarding the amount of the potential pay increase, LSU spokesman Herb Vincent said by e-mail that Miles' contract "speaks for itself. It would be inappropriate for LSU to speculate on possible future applications or provisions in the contract."

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.