3 days Ago By Etienne Fermie
COLLEGE head coaches are set to receive hefty bonuses for leading their teams to the Sweet 16.The stage was set last weekend with March Madness in full swing.ReutersRick Barnes has earned a hefty bonus[/caption]GettyJohn Calipari has also earned a sweet reward[/caption]Among the teams to make it through was the Tennessee Volunteers, coached by Rick Barnes.
The Tennessee head coach is set for the biggest publicly available Sweet 16 bonus.Per Front Office Sports, the 70-year-old has landed $200,000 for his team’s exploits at the Big Dance.In 2023 it was confirmed that Barnes had signed a five-year extension with the Vols, worth a cool $29.
4 million.The next biggest Sweet 16 bonus has been earned by Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson.The Cougars will face Purdue on Friday night after defeating Gonzaga 81-76 in the last round.
Sampson is set to pocket a $100k bonus, with his contract signed in 2023 already worth at least $19m over four seasons.Kevin Willard of Maryland and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo have earned $75k so far during March Madness.The Terrapins will face No1 seeded Florida tomorrow, while the Spartans are set to do battle with Ole Miss.
Five Sweet 16 head coaches have earned $50k bonuses for their team’s performances at the Big Dance. Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, Mississippi’s Chris Beard, Kentucky‘s Mark Pope, Auburn’s Bruce Pearl and Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland are all in line for 50 grand bonuses.The Wildcats face John Scheyer’s Duke, the Rebels have Izzo’s Michigan State, Kentucky take on Tennessee and Auburn will battle Michigan.
McCasland’s Red Raiders, meanwhile, have Arkansas in the next round.Florida’s Todd Golden, who takes on Willard’s Maryland, has landed a $37.5k bonus.
While Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter will receive an extra $30k.The Alabama Crimson Tide takes on BYU tomorrow.Head coach Nate Oats has landed a $25k bonus for his team’s Sweet 16 exploits.
Michigan’s Dusty May has earned the same sum, with his Wolverines set to play Auburn.Arkansas head coach John Calipari doesn’t get a specific bonus for his team’s achievement – although his team reaching the Sweet 16 has added a cool $150k to his $7m salary for next season.Bonuses received by Duke’s Scheyer and BYU’s Kevin Young are unknown due to those schools being private.
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