What is considered enough? What would you all consider to be too low? Would you do it for 30? 40? 50k? Regardless of division.
What is considered enough? What would you all consider to be too low? Would you do it for 30? 40? 50k? Regardless of division.
75% of the poverty line / van down by the river gratis.
If a head coach position is not paying 40K per year it is doubtful the school is not serious about providing resources at any level. At the DI level there is more variability, but the pay is going to be more. Also at DII and DIII, pay is more likely tied to how powerful of an alumni base you help create, especially at private institutions.
College? I would say the minimum should be about 70k for head coach of all four teams. Anything less indicates to me that the school is not serious about sports and has them only for some pictures on a brochure, most likely a small liberal arts school trying to show they have all the same features as the big schools.
I coach HS but have checked our government database and talked to some coaches about it. My wife initially wanted me to go this route, but we decided it wasn't as lucrative as teaching and coaching HS and we would likely never be able to live near our families. That should tell you something.
It seems like the D1s in our state pay at least 40k like the poster above mentioned. I would expect that as a starting salary with a cut of camp funds as an additional boost.
Major D1s tend to pay closer to 50-80k for the assistants.
Minor D1s are closer to the 30-50k barrier. I would probably advise you to ask if you could help your salary by teaching a class during the fall and/or summer. That usually adds a few thousand per class.
I make as much as most D1 head coaches in our state except for the biggest campuses. Those assistants make more than most head coaches, which is why you don't see them leaving very often except for other major D1 jobs.
If you're going to go this route, your coaching tree is absolutely essential. Who you know is everything (assuming you're working hard.)
Just reread your question...Specific salary info listed below. Some of this is based on talks/searches in the last 3-4 years. Numbers could have jumped a little.
In the south, major D1 coaches make 80-90k+. There are several making 100k+ in the Big XII and SEC. There are a few with major deals that are like winning the lotto. That is rare. You'll need some national championships to hit the big payout. Assistants at those schools make closer to head coaches at mid-majors.
The mid-major D1s (non Power-5 for football) tend to be closer to 80-90k for head coach of a double program.
Smaller D1 (football probably FBS) closer to salary of high school teacher with stipends for head track/XC.
D2 is highly variable but probably requires teaching. Less emphasis on coaching for majority of staff.
D3 is all over the place.
My biggest problem is having no coaching tree. I have essentially been self made from day 1. A victim of my own competence I guess. I just assumed work load wise anything less than 50k for all 4 is absurd.
You can get a coaching tree without having one already.
It sounds like you're at a smaller school or mid-major.
Do you have USTFCCCA certifications? If not, go to the clinic and get one in a non-distance event.
Tons of college coaches in there from all levels. Meet them and network.
Then what I would suggest is becoming a counselor at one of their summer track camps.
Texas just hired a guy from somewhere like Portland State who was a camp counselor for them for 5 years. I know that sounds crazy, but that is one way to get to meet people.
But back to your question....50k is pretty low for all four. On par with non-FBS D1s down south. Maybe you can try to negotiate some incentive pay (# All-Americans, conference title for each of those 4=$, etc.) Or you could really look ahead and use it as a springboard job and negotiate for travel pay so you can get your athletes to major meets.
Good luck!
Career Crossroads wrote:
My biggest problem is having no coaching tree. I have essentially been self made from day 1. A victim of my own competence I guess. I just assumed work load wise anything less than 50k for all 4 is absurd.
That is a problem, but probably not for the reason you think. You're probably not half as competent as you think you are. Maybe you can coach distance as well as you believe. But I bet you are way less competent in all the skill events than you think. You'd be shocked how much you miss out on by only watching youtube videos and reading forums.
Unless you plan to be a head coach who has nothing to do with any event group besides distance? You might be able to get away with that.
Still, how did you have nobody who helped you learn about organizing and running a team? Seems hard to believe somebody could become they best they could be in everything required of a head coach in a vaccuum.
Start cross pollinating with other coaches. This is like any other profession, there are lots of good ideas out there to solve problems you haven't even realized yet that you need to solve.
Thanks for the tips, I am going to try and negotiate a pay raise for an assistant. I figure I can make it work for less if I have somebody around me who is a career coach not just the guy from down the street.
I am actually extremely well versed in the field events as I competed in them. Why would you assume I am a distance only guy? Are you just reaching for something to try and knock me down ;) ?
I am sure we are all thinking you are mainly a throws coach coming on letsrun.com asking these questions and had not heard about the NTCA and their site. So that's not the case, jump coaches at least all the good ones are interrelated and if you haven't figured that as a jumps coach then you have no future as a jumps coach. You are least familiar with distance coaching or you would be aggravated by all these trolls on the forum and as someone who has coached both sprinters and distance I am infuriated by them as well especially when it comes to any thread about sprinting. So of course you are a distance coach.
If your coaching tree is bad, you need to make it better or you don't have a chance. Trust me, I like my coaching tree, but for most college programs they don't care about mine. I got lucky, then I proved myself at a place I like and enjoy and will have to continue to prove myself and that is with All-Americans and Conference Champions to my credit (really my athletes credit, but that's not how the game is played).
Wonder how much they make at the Olympics-Four XC/F/T programs?
Alright you got me I'm a distance guy. Did jumps and jav a couple times for fun .... so I did compete in them. 5k all the way. Clever boy with your logic and tricks. I tried working on my tree but I came to find out I do not like most coaches.
Career Crossroads wrote:
I am actually extremely well versed in the field events as I competed in them. Why would you assume I am a distance only guy? Are you just reaching for something to try and knock me down ;) ?
I didn't assume you are only a distance coach. I was saying that distance is probably the only event you could learn by reading and forums and trying out what you learn while coaching.
Every other event, you really need to learn from other coaches.
Take pole vault for example. The vault coach who brags about being self taught is the coach who ends up consistently hurting his/her athletes.
I'm not reaching for something to knock you down with, I'm giving you a sincere suggestion that you network with other coaches to prop up your knowledge and hopefully avoid another hack coach out there.
3 million dollars.
Converted to US currency circa 2015, adjusted for inflation.
-Steve, FL 2062
Get yourself a wife that has a really good job, 100k+. Go be a track coach. Have a few kids before sugar momma wife can totally resent your career choice. Keep coaching.
Sitting around and hoping to get paid more won't help. Those opportunities are few and far between. If you have to ask, then you're probably never getting one of the great jobs.
Or coach b/c you want to & it hasn't nothing to do /how much you get paid, especially if you don't need the money. How often is someone REALLY well off & want to go back to work or coach for a living? It's called giving back to the community.
Career Crossroads wrote:
What is considered enough? What would you all consider to be too low? Would you do it for 30? 40? 50k? Regardless of division.
Mario Sategna, the head XC and Track and Field coach at University of Texas at Austin makes $283,133/year.
Tonja Buford-Bailey who is an associate coach for sprints, hurdles and relays under Sategna makes $208,700.
Kareem Street-Thompson who is an assistant coach for horizontal jumps/sprints under Sategna makes $110,000/yr.
Ty Sevin who is an assistant coach for field events under Satenga makes $112,500/yr.
Brad Herbster who is an assistant coach for distance/cross country under Satenga makes $87,063/yr.
Seth Henson who is an assistant coach under Sategna makes $80,000/yr.