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History of LSU Football Coaches' Salaries

Posted on 11/28/21 at 3:22 pm
Posted by blueridgeTiger
Granbury, TX
Member since Jun 2004
20270 posts
Posted on 11/28/21 at 3:22 pm
I'm not sure how accurate my list is, so if anyone has better information, feel free to correct me.

I tried to find (via google and bing) the final base salary of each of the coaches, but some of the figures may include perks.

Paul Dietzel (not inclucing AD salary) - $18.5k
Charles McClendon - $31.5k
Bo Rein - $50k
Jerry Stovall - $42k
Bill Arnsparger - $80k
Mike Archer - $88.4k
Curley Hallman - $90k
Gerry Dinardo - $95k
Nick Saban - $2.3M
Les Miles - $4.4M
Ed Orgeron - $9M

ETA - correction of Les Miles' salary.

This post was edited on 11/28/21 at 4:38 pm
Posted by CDawson
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2017
16402 posts
Posted on 11/28/21 at 3:23 pm to
Miles was paid much more than that.
Posted by T
Member since Jan 2004
9889 posts
Posted on 11/28/21 at 3:28 pm to
The amount of money that’s thrown around for college athletics is nuts. We are all to blame though because we’re the ones who keep paying more and more to watch games on TV.
Posted by Choupique19
The cheap seats
Member since Sep 2005
61779 posts
Posted on 11/28/21 at 3:33 pm to
Saban was initially hired for $1.2 million and it made him the 3rd highest paid coach in the country. It sent shock waves around the country that LSU paid him that much before he won anything at LSU.
Posted by BayouTigers4Life
Chi-town
Member since Dec 2004
6963 posts
Posted on 11/28/21 at 4:19 pm to
Crazy to think that only Spurrier, Bowden and Fulmer were making more than a million in 2000 and Saban could be first to crack the 10 million mark. That's a 10-fold increase in pay in just 20 years.
Posted by blueridgeTiger
Granbury, TX
Member since Jun 2004
20270 posts
Posted on 11/28/21 at 4:36 pm to
quote:

Miles was paid much more than that.


You're right. Looks like the number I used was his KU salary. LSU salary looks to be about $4.4M
Posted by Forever
Member since Dec 2019
5726 posts
Posted on 11/28/21 at 4:49 pm to
quote:

Bill Arnsparger - $80k
Mike Archer - $88.4k
Curley Hallman - $90k
Gerry Dinardo - $95k

How did we go 16 years without paying significantly more money for a coaching hire and people wonder why we sucked
Posted by Lsutigerturner
Member since Dec 2016
5774 posts
Posted on 11/28/21 at 11:23 pm to
1000% increase kinda crazy
Posted by Pelican fan99
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since Jun 2013
34696 posts
Posted on 11/28/21 at 11:44 pm to
Woodward might be retarded if he thought Orgeron deserves 9 million
This post was edited on 11/29/21 at 2:16 am
Posted by RemouladeSawce
Uranus
Member since Sep 2008
13926 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 1:32 am to
A coach wins a natty and the AD has to make him Top 5. No other choice.
Posted by TigahTiger
PNW
Member since Nov 2021
11 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 2:35 am to
I was just a kid when Dinardo was there, but I didn’t realize SEC coaches were paid like regular people that recently. Mind blown
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
78004 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 3:10 am to
I was at LSU in the Arnsparger and Archer days and I can tell you the idea of a national championship seemed like science fiction.
Posted by Cold Cous Cous
Bucktown, La.
Member since Oct 2003
15045 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 5:56 am to
quote:

I was just a kid when Dinardo was there, but I didn’t realize SEC coaches were paid like regular people that recently. Mind blown

Vandy sued Dinardo after he left and the court case is like a window into a different world. "Contract negotiation" was a couple of guys meeting up after practice and working out a handshake deal.
quote:

On August 17, Hoolahan returned to Bell Buckle with the Addendum. He took it to DiNardo at the practice field where they met in Hoolahan's car. DiNardo stated that Hoolahan did not present him with the complete two-page addendum, but only the second page, which was the signature page. DiNardo asked, “what am I signing?” Hoolahan explained to DiNardo, “[i]t means that your contract as it presently exists will be extended for two years with everything else remaining exactly the same as it existed in the present contract.” Before DiNardo signed the Addendum, he told Hoolahan, “Larry needs to see a copy before this thing is finalized.” Hoolahan agreed, and DiNardo signed the document... Hoolahan took the signed document without giving DiNardo a copy.


LINK (Larry is Dinardo's brother, a lawyer)
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
73856 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 9:11 am to
quote:

Saban was initially hired for $1.2 million and it made him the 3rd highest paid coach in the country. It sent shock waves around the country that LSU paid him that much before he won anything at LSU.



there wasn't a lot of money in coaching up until that time, especially in the assistant coaches ranks, some were close to poverty level, that's why you use to see coaches announcing they're getting out of coaching to pursue business interests(insurance agent,) all the time
Posted by Stexas
SWLA
Member since May 2013
6000 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 9:38 am to
I remember Dinardo was making north of $300k. I remember because I was a student working in the Library and they had all employee salaries on file.
Posted by Fat Bastard
coach, investor, gambler
Member since Mar 2009
72607 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 9:47 am to
quote:

I remember Dinardo was making north of $300k. I remember because I was a student working in the Library and they had all employee salaries on file.




yup. OP is incorrect.
Posted by 777Tiger
Member since Mar 2011
73856 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 9:52 am to
quote:

I remember Dinardo was making north of $300k. I remember because I was a student working in the Library and they had all employee salaries on file.



was that including radio/tv, and sponsorships? I remember his published base salary at the time was pretty low
Posted by Stexas
SWLA
Member since May 2013
6000 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 11:20 am to
$300k at the time was low... he was around a million with all of the sponsorships...
Posted by KiwiHead
Auckland, NZ
Member since Jul 2014
27436 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 12:56 pm to
DiNardo was getting substantially more than 95K
Posted by MikeBRLA
Baton Rouge
Member since Jun 2005
16453 posts
Posted on 11/29/21 at 2:14 pm to
quote:

DiNardo was getting substantially more than 95K


This. That might be what his base pay was from LSU, but certainly not the whole package. For instance, Les Miles’s pay from LSU was $300,000 if I remember correctly.
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