Niya Butts salary

[Gator]

As reported in the vacancy thread: Arizona hired Niya Butts -
http://arizonaathletics.com/w-basket....aspx?id=52278

A very well known WBB writer reports that her salary is $200,000 - the LOWEST in a BCS school - and says it raises Title 9 issues. (I'm not using the writer's name as it was discussed in small a mailing list where the posters are known to each other but has not been published elsewhere that I know about. Knowing this writer - it will be soon.)

[Dale8R]

Someone has to be lowest, whether it be 10 or 100 jobs. My thought would be that a young person taking their first head coaching job would be somewhere near the bottom. Get good results and the price tag goes up.

[tx4OU]

Someone has to be lowest, whether it be 10 or 100 jobs. My thought would be that a young person taking their first head coaching job would be somewhere near the bottom. Get good results and the price tag goes up.
Or get good results and tell the school that's paying you peanuts, "Thanks, but no thanks;" and move on to greener pastures when another program that places value in there women's basketball comes calling, even when said school wants to suddenly match the new offer(s).

[ChipperF1]

"Or get good results and tell the school that's paying you peanuts, "Thanks, but no thanks;"

I think too many people are judging a rebuilding project against the Petronas Towers.

Niya Butts is 30-years old in her very first head coaching job anywhere. And she's not at Northern Arizona, She's at Arizona.

$200,000 a year is actually rather standard for a newbie Division I head coach, even one who coached lower on the D-I food chain.

The writer who is talking about Title IX concerns is beating the same old drum about Pac-10 uncompetitiveness. Its a little boring.

I look at this is applauding Arizona for taking a fresh approach. After 17 years with one head coach, they now seek a reinvention, a new direction. Before everybody calls Litigator Hogshead, lets see all the part of the puzzle we don't see right now unfold.

If Butts does a turnaround there, Arizona's going be at place where they are going have to give her cash or somebody else will.

U of A is taking a risk, but its a risk most of us in Big 12 know pretty well, but also know that with the right committment, that risk can pay off.

[Bball Girl]

Well I don't think that can be a BCS low because Bonvicini was reported to make only $139,000 - that's been a known for anyone who follows UofA sports. So, $200k is a substantial raise.

as reported by the UofA Newspaper (which is best college newspaper I've seen in my travels thru several universities as far as the quality of information

http://wildcat.arizona.edu/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=a74afc1a-2c94-43ea-8ae9-8837563a3ae2

The AZ Star is reporting $200,000 PLUS incentives. That's her base - that doesn't include shoe contacts and incentives, etc.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sports/232831

I think she's a terrific hire - UofA needs a influx of "bright young minds" in their coaching ranks.

Greg Hanson is not one of my favorite sports writers...but here's his take
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/columnists/232828.php

As he points out Charlie Turner Thorne was 30 when hired by ASU :)

Gimino's take..

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/sports/81622.php

sounds like another Gary Blair
Watch out, Tucson. She's coming for you.
"I look forward to getting out in the community, going in restaurants, doing whatever I have to do to get people in the stands here at Arizona," Butts said Thursday at her introductory news conference.
"Guys, I can make you that commitment. I am going to do everything in my power to get people to come out here for games."

[sejstad]

Just for context:

Charlie Turner Thorne is now making $275K. And, since Chipper brought up Northern Arizona, the head coach for the 'Jacks earns $92K/yr.

I work at NAU and only WISH we had someone with Niya Butts' energy and enthusiasm at the helm.

Will be rooting for the Wildcats in the '08-'09 season!

[36Cord810]

Yes a couple of coaches were bumped up to a million or more last year, but Duke didn't spend like Texas or Baylor when they hired their new coach, neither did Michigan State or Florida. With costs skyrocketing and tuition going up at record rates, money is becoming tight for many universities. Thus in most places programs will be judged about how much money they are making or losing. Until such time as the payoff for the NCAA tourney in women's basketball moves dramatically upward, I think presidents of most schools (those that don't have money to burn and those are in the majority) will remain conservative. Hence $200K-$350 will be much more the norm than $1 million.

[74Bear]

I agree on the salary schedule being in the $200 to maybe $400k range but some who cut corners get exactly what they pay for. Michigan St appears on the way down. Duke...don't know yet but I don't think Joanne P. impressed their fans. Just like any business, you can cut a corner too sharp just like you can easily over pay for any position and waste money.

[swok34]

Yes a couple of coaches were bumped up to a million or more last year, but Duke didn't spend like Texas or Baylor when they hired their new coach, neither did Michigan State or Florida. With costs skyrocketing and tuition going up at record rates, money is becoming tight for many universities. Thus in most places programs will be judged about how much money they are making or losing. Until such time as the payoff for the NCAA tourney in women's basketball moves dramatically upward, I think presidents of most schools (those that don't have money to burn and those are in the majority) will remain conservative. Hence $200K-$350 will be much more the norm than $1 million.

I agree. I think you have to prove yourself to move into the million dollar stuff. Gail was proven @ Duke. It's probably pretty difficult (and I think we've had this discussion before) to compare coaching salaries because I think most have a base that is 50-300,000 range...

it's the incentives, performance bonus that kick some coaches into the million dollar range.

And I would guess each university have different methods and ways to configure those bonus.

[36Cord810]

I agree. I think you have to prove yourself to move into the million dollar stuff. Gail was proven @ Duke.

But Duke would not up the ante. They liked Gail, but were going to keep the play scale low. Texas, with deep pockets, allowed Gail to make the huge jump in compensation. I think the Texas administration might well have been reacting to the deal that Kim got and was determined to out spend Baylor (image is important in many large state schools). Yet most administrators, even at BCS universities, simply cannot afford to follow suit. Essentially, as long as ESPN pays as little as they do for the tourney, women's basketball coaches are going to stay in the salary range of men's baseball coaches. Schools that pay more will be the exception rather than the rule.