doing well on the court often correlates to financial success for coaches
By Nicholas Sterling, Chris Cobb and Liv Balog
Coaches’ pay in sports varies not only based on the sport itself but also many other contributing factors. Our research examined men's and women's college basketball head coaches at public universities (for which data is available) in three states: Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Variables include if they are a men’s or women’s coach, years spent coaching at school, overall coaching record at school, school division, attendance of games, win-loss record and winning percentage.
John Szentesy, men's basketball coach at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, a small public institution, doesn't make nearly as much money as other coaches in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. And as a Division II coach, he doesn’t expect to get the same compensation as coaches in Division I -- especially those in Power Five conferences. But what are the pay gaps between coaches in the different NCAA divisions? What are the factors that matter most in determining coach pay?
John Szentesy, men's basketball coach at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, a small public institution, doesn't make nearly as much money as other coaches in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. And as a Division II coach, he doesn’t expect to get the same compensation as coaches in Division I -- especially those in Power Five conferences. But what are the pay gaps between coaches in the different NCAA divisions? What are the factors that matter most in determining coach pay?
Above are the top 10 highest-paid coaches in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Of them, only three are women. Brenda Frese, Maryland women's head coach, is ranked fourth-highest-paid with a base salary of $1.18 million. Her overall win-loss record is 431-115 (78.50 winning percent). Suzie McConnell-Serio, the now-former Pittsburgh women's basketball coach, is ranked seventh-highest-paid with a base salary of $486,258. Her win-loss overall record was 67-87 (43.5 winning percent). Joanne Boyle, UVA's former women's basketball coach, is ranked 10th highest with a base salary of $365,792. Her win-loss record overall is 129-99 (56.50 winning percent).
Each of these women worked for the same school as head coach for five or more years yet made less than the male head coach who is ranked third, Kevin Stallings, who had been Pittsburgh men's basketball coach for two years (36.90 winning percentage).
Each of these women worked for the same school as head coach for five or more years yet made less than the male head coach who is ranked third, Kevin Stallings, who had been Pittsburgh men's basketball coach for two years (36.90 winning percentage).
For the 2017-2018 college basketball season, men’s coaches made on average $150,000 more than women’s coaches. Among Power Five (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC conferences) and all Division I schools, the margin is $800,000 and $300,000, respectively.
The difference between men's ans women's salaries for Division II and III is much smaller. Men’s coaches only make around $8,000 more than women's coaches in Division II and about $22,000 more in Division III.
Tom Rhoades, a sports economics professor at Towson University, said high-level basketball coaches make more because Division I schools have larger TV contracts than Division II and III schools. This results in some Division I coaches getting an incentive in their contract based off TV rating. The men’s coaches make more than women’s coaches on average because men’s basketball typically brings in higher TV audiences and larger crowds.
“It’s where the revenue is coming from,” Szentesy said. “Football and men’s basketball generate the most the revenue, and therefore their coaches make the most money. I don’t know if it’s fair or not that men’s coaches get paid more, but it’s from a standpoint from pressure, stress, and visibility and the men’s side gets more attention.”
The difference between men's ans women's salaries for Division II and III is much smaller. Men’s coaches only make around $8,000 more than women's coaches in Division II and about $22,000 more in Division III.
Tom Rhoades, a sports economics professor at Towson University, said high-level basketball coaches make more because Division I schools have larger TV contracts than Division II and III schools. This results in some Division I coaches getting an incentive in their contract based off TV rating. The men’s coaches make more than women’s coaches on average because men’s basketball typically brings in higher TV audiences and larger crowds.
“It’s where the revenue is coming from,” Szentesy said. “Football and men’s basketball generate the most the revenue, and therefore their coaches make the most money. I don’t know if it’s fair or not that men’s coaches get paid more, but it’s from a standpoint from pressure, stress, and visibility and the men’s side gets more attention.”
Generally, there was a positive correlation between coach pay and winning percentage ago Division I coaches, but there were a few outliers.
Jeff Jones, men’s basketball coach at Old Dominion University, had a winning percentage of 78.4. That makes him the winningest men’s coach in our study. His salary is down around $200,000. By comparison, Stallings, made more than $1.1 million last season but had a winning percentage of just 36.9.
Among women’s Division I coaches, McConnell-Serio, made $486,258, second among Division I women’s coaches. Her winning percentage is down in the 30s. Sean O’Regan, women’s coach at JMU, made $180,000 last season but his winning percentage was over 70 percent.
Men’s coaches in Division II most notably show the impact of winning percentage on salary. Of the 16 Division II men’s basketball teams, only three break the string of winning percentage going up as salary increases.
Interestingly enough, the top-paid men's and women's coaches don’t necessarily win the most. Mark Turgeon, Fran Dunphy and Stallings all earn over 1.1 million, but they rank seventh, 15th and 35th respectively out of the 43 coaches involved in the study. On the women’s side, Frese, McConnell-Serio all make over $365,000. They rank third, 31st and 22nd.
Szentesy said he thinks in the PSAC winning percentage does factor into salaries, but there are more factors.
“In our conference, there’s a good correlation between higher salaries and winning,” Szentesy said. “Factors in my experience would be the resources the school has to commit to scholarships and salaries. When I look at the top of the conference in terms of wins and losses, the team with the most scholarship money has the most compensated head coach. At the bottom of the conference where we have been, we have the least amount of scholarship money and probably the lowest or second lowest paid coach in the conference, and we haven’t won a game.”
Jeff Jones, men’s basketball coach at Old Dominion University, had a winning percentage of 78.4. That makes him the winningest men’s coach in our study. His salary is down around $200,000. By comparison, Stallings, made more than $1.1 million last season but had a winning percentage of just 36.9.
Among women’s Division I coaches, McConnell-Serio, made $486,258, second among Division I women’s coaches. Her winning percentage is down in the 30s. Sean O’Regan, women’s coach at JMU, made $180,000 last season but his winning percentage was over 70 percent.
Men’s coaches in Division II most notably show the impact of winning percentage on salary. Of the 16 Division II men’s basketball teams, only three break the string of winning percentage going up as salary increases.
Interestingly enough, the top-paid men's and women's coaches don’t necessarily win the most. Mark Turgeon, Fran Dunphy and Stallings all earn over 1.1 million, but they rank seventh, 15th and 35th respectively out of the 43 coaches involved in the study. On the women’s side, Frese, McConnell-Serio all make over $365,000. They rank third, 31st and 22nd.
Szentesy said he thinks in the PSAC winning percentage does factor into salaries, but there are more factors.
“In our conference, there’s a good correlation between higher salaries and winning,” Szentesy said. “Factors in my experience would be the resources the school has to commit to scholarships and salaries. When I look at the top of the conference in terms of wins and losses, the team with the most scholarship money has the most compensated head coach. At the bottom of the conference where we have been, we have the least amount of scholarship money and probably the lowest or second lowest paid coach in the conference, and we haven’t won a game.”
Turgeon and Frese are the highest-paid men’s and women’s coaches out of the three states. Both coaches also have the highest attendance from the 2017-18 season in their respective sports.
There are two coaches who earned at least $100,000 while having an average attendance less than 1,000. Those coaches are Chris Mooney from University of Richmond and Juan Dixon from Coppin State University.
Szentesy doesn’t believe attendance is a factor in determining coaches' salaries.
“I don’t think it does because right now we are second in the conference in attendance, but out of 17 schools, I’m the 16th, 17th lowest paid coach," he said. "I don’t see it as a factor, but when it comes to renewing a contract, it is something I’ll bring up that we have people coming here to support us."
Szentesy gave us insight into what does go into attendance.
“Demographics will certainly play a role in attendance," he said. "Where we’re at, it’s so vastly rural, so there’s not a whole lot to do. We have a lot of older folks that come to games that have been coming for 40 years. Our students don’t have many things to do either, so they tend to come to some games.”
There are two coaches who earned at least $100,000 while having an average attendance less than 1,000. Those coaches are Chris Mooney from University of Richmond and Juan Dixon from Coppin State University.
Szentesy doesn’t believe attendance is a factor in determining coaches' salaries.
“I don’t think it does because right now we are second in the conference in attendance, but out of 17 schools, I’m the 16th, 17th lowest paid coach," he said. "I don’t see it as a factor, but when it comes to renewing a contract, it is something I’ll bring up that we have people coming here to support us."
Szentesy gave us insight into what does go into attendance.
“Demographics will certainly play a role in attendance," he said. "Where we’re at, it’s so vastly rural, so there’s not a whole lot to do. We have a lot of older folks that come to games that have been coming for 40 years. Our students don’t have many things to do either, so they tend to come to some games.”
The number of years coaching at their current school has no correlation to how much a coach is paid. Stallings worked for the University of Pittsburgh for only two years and still managed to make a base salary of $1.18 million.
Out of all the coaches within the three states, the coach who has been at the same school the longest is the Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Women’s Coach Janet Malouf. Malouf has been coaching for 24 years, and yet only makes $85,770.
This is a chart comparing Maryland’s men’s and women’s basketball coaches. Frese has had the better career at the school and has been there longer, but her salary is $1.5 million less than Mark Turgeon’s.
This is a chart comparing Towson’s men’s and women’s basketball coaches. Pat Skerry has been there longer and has had the better career.