AUBURN, Alabama — Bruce Pearl’s new long-term contract to coach Auburn’s basketball team offers incentives for on-court success and his top three assistant coaches, like their boss, have earned bonuses for Tigers winning the Southeastern Conference regular season championship. and play in the NCAA Tournament.
The group, which includes Wes Flanigan, Steven Pearl and Ira Bowmanreceived praise from the head coach this spring at the team’s playoff awards banquet when he called them the best collection of assistants in college hoops.
Each of those assistants has a base salary of $250,000 with a 10% bonus if the Tigers win an SEC championship, which means each earned $25,000, with last season’s team winning the league title. regular season.
Their deals also include an additional bonus of four percent of their annual salary for the Tigers receiving an NCAA tournament offer, which increases to six percent for reaching the Round of 16, which the Tigers did before losing to Miami. . With that, Bowman, Steven Pearl and Flanigan are entitled to an additional $1,500 as part of their deals.
Each assistant, who is contracted through the 2022-23 season, can earn higher bonuses next year if the Tigers have more playoff success. For reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 tournament, the bonus increases to eight percent. For an Elite Eight appearance, it increases to 10%. For an appearance in the Final Four, the bonus is 12%.
If the Tigers reach the championship game, the bonus increases to 20% and for an NCAA championship, it increases to 25%.
Flanigan, who served as the Division I head coach, has the most lucrative assistant contract. His contract provides an additional $62,500 a year in exchange for his personal endorsement rights and the same amount money in exchange for making personal appearances for college.
Bowman’s contract provides $45,000 a year for personal sponsorship rights and the same amount for personal Auburn appearances.
Steven Pearl’s deal is asking for $22,500 for endorsement rights and $22,500 for personal appearances.
The base salary of the head coach is the same as that of his assistants, but there is a huge difference after that. Bruce Pearl’s deal provides $2,575,000 a year for endorsement rights and the same amount for personal appearances. Fees for rights and amounts for personal appearances each increase by $125,000 per year, while base salary remains unchanged.
Bruce Pearl’s contract, which runs through April 2030, includes $100,000 for winning the SEC Regular Season Championship, $50,000 for winning the SEC Tournament, $50,000 for coaching the SEC Year, $50,000 for winning the National Coach of the Year award from the Naismith. Foundation, USA Today, The Associated Press or the National Association of Basketball Coaches, $50,000 for entering the NCAA Tournament, $50,000 for reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 Tournament, $100,000 for reaching the Final Four, 100 $000 for reaching the National Championship Game, $200,000 for winning the National Championship with a combined maximum of $600,000 for NCAA Tournament bonuses in one season.
The head coach’s deal provides up to $75,000 a year for academic performance bonuses, 20 home basketball season passes, eight home football game season passes, membership in a local country club and ongoing payments on a life insurance policy with $3 million in death benefits.
Assistant coaches each receive an automobile and their travel expenses are paid while working in Auburn’s basketball business. Additionally, each coach receives four season tickets to Auburn’s home basketball games.
As is the case with the head coach, the contracts provide for assistants to appear on radio and television shows at the request of the AU broadcast rights holder, as well as on-demand appearances for assist in the sale of commercial sponsorships.
There are also detailed compliance requirements for assistant coaches who do not violate NCAA regulations, which can result in loss of pay and/or dismissal.
If the assistant coaches are fired without having breached the terms of the contracts, each is entitled to 50% of their due salary until April 30, 2023, the end date of their contract.
Assistant coaches are permitted to retain any income they may receive in the form of honoraria for speaking engagements under their agreements as long as it is approved by the university.
As is the case with the head coach, assistant coaches are not permitted “under any circumstances” to negotiate employment contracts with “any other institution of higher education or professional sports team without first informing them by writes the sports director. If this part of this part of the contract is breached, the university is entitled to a payment of $50,000 within 90 days from the assistant coach.
Auburn finished the 2021-22 season with a 28-6 record and was 15-3 in SEC play. Team must replace a pair of All-Americans, power forward Jabari Smith and center/forward Walker Kesler. The Tigers are bringing in three high school seniors and a transfer to play the 2022-23 schedule.
The Tigers will start the upcoming season early with an exhibition tour in Israel where they are scheduled to play three games. The team will leave on July 31 and return on August 10.