D3 Coach Salaries

Started at $28,500 and left 15 years later at $53,500. If I had to guess, it's a good salary at the schools that take it seriously and want to keep a good coach. Top academic schools probably pay between $50,000-$70,000. It's all about having more than one full-time person at D3. It's too much work for only one full-time person.

Kurious Kat wrote:

Started at $28,500 and left 15 years later at $53,500. If I had to guess, it's a good salary at the schools that take it seriously and want to keep a good coach. Top academic schools probably pay between $50,000-$70,000. It's all about having more than one full-time person at D3. It's too much work for only one full-time person.

This pisses me off.

My old DIII coach is literally using a $20 Jack Daniels book to coach distance and mid distance runners. She is salaried at $121,000 a year. $85,500 is base. Team has finished last or close to last at every conference meet in XC and Track and our conference is not very good. Hardly gets recruits and most quit after a few months or never show up to the first practice. Most "good" athletes were good before they got to the school and then transfer after one year. No real progress made by those who stay for more than a few years. Revolving door of assistant coaches who get paid nothing and every year the administration says they are tightening the track/xc budget and yet her salary goes up. every. year. She has skipped out on meets because she has "other plans". She's never coached any runners to fast times or high placings at national meets. Our entire team's track seasons end 3 weeks before NCAAs because nobody qualifies for post season meets. Nobody. Men and women. Two years we didn't even attend the regional XC meet because we were so bad and couldn't field a full team.

Drives me up a wall. I know some great coaches who would do a better job for half the money. I'm convinced the athletic department is tanking the XC/Track teams on purpose so it'll be easy justification to cut the program when the time is right.

And it pisses me off that if she is so bad, that you won't out her.

that's what the market will bear.

If you honestly feel that the system is completely broken under your coach, go to the AD with your complaints and politely explain them. If you must, wait until you are finished with your final season.

To be clear: is her salary entirely from xc/track? None of it is for teaching a p.e. class, etc? Does she have a bachelor's, Masters, or phd?

I find this extraordinarily hard to believe. Nobody refers to a salary then cites a lower base. That indicates you don't know how comp works. And nothing about the story makes sense.

The coach either gets paid for other work or this is a rumor fueled rant from a fairly dumb college kid at a bad school.

im wonderingg 223 wrote:

What is an average DIII Head Coach salary? Lets say XC/Track combined programs.

depends on:

the market (nyu is going to have a higher cost of living than say, uw-lax or something)

the academic prestige of the school

the quality of the program

low-end, some no-name scrub coaching at some no-name school in some flyover state, he's probably looking at $40k to start. on the upper end, a dude who has been around forever (north central) or a guy whose teams are consistently very good at urban, academic powerhouses (mit, washu, cmu) are probably north of six figures.

Patrick, Stephen SUNY $71,359 SUC@Cortland

That's for the head coach who has won an XC title, has multiple national champions in the last few years, and is either first or second (in track) every year in one of the top DIII conferences. [quote]nah right wrote:

Live in moderate to low cost area. $45K and have been 9 years at institution. Head XC and assistant track. Started at $6K part-time.

Most of the low-end, no-name schools you are talking about are part-time and most definitely do not start at 40K.

This seems extremely unlikely for many reasons: $85k would be a top-end salary for a very competitive coach in a competitive conference. You can't be "salaried" at one level and have a small portion as base. You may have a "base salary" with incentives for performance.No reasonable HR or athletic administration would approve performance-based incentives of c. $35k for someone with the track record you detail.If you know her salary and incentive package and are that angry about her performance what would stop you from pointing us to that information?

don't get me started wrote:

My old DIII coach is literally using a $20 Jack Daniels book to coach distance and mid distance runners. She is salaried at $121,000 a year. $85,500 is base. Team has finished last or close to last at every conference meet in XC and Track and our conference is not very good. Hardly gets recruits and most quit after a few months or never show up to the first practice. Most "good" athletes were good before they got to the school and then transfer after one year. .

Some D3 coaches are paid very well. I know quite a few who make over $100K. I know one who makes $175K

121,000 total compensation

85,500 "base" salary.

Difference is "fringe benefits" meaning health insurance, Tavel reimbursement, etc.

I'm not some dumb college kid, I understand how pay works. Sorry I used a synonym for "compensation". Her pay info is public so are team and individual results.

> Travel reimbursement, etc.

Travel reimbursement is not a "fringe benefit."

DIII SALARY wrote:

121,000 total compensation

85,500 "base" salary.

Difference is "fringe benefits" meaning health insurance, Tavel reimbursement, etc.

I'm not some dumb college kid, I understand how pay works. Sorry I used a synonym for "compensation". Her pay info is public so are team and individual results.

You are dumb. Not surprised you didn't graduate from college.

Post the school if it's public.

Fringe benefits can include a lot of things. The institution decides what a fringe benefit might be. You seem to be acting like a dick for no reason.

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p15b/ar02.html

I'd say in the mid 50k range for DIII coaches. Some more some less. Really depends on the running tradition at the school and the athletic budgets.

Example wrote:

Live in moderate to low cost area. $45K and have been 9 years at institution. Head XC and assistant track. Started at $6K part-time.

Most of the low-end, no-name schools you are talking about are part-time and most definitely do not start at 40K.

This is pretty standard.

Low-end DIII programs that have a part-time head coach are making 8-15k/yr.

Low/mid-tier DIII programs with a full-time head will have a starting salary around 27-33k.

75% of full-time assistants will have a starting salary around 27-33k.

I'd guess there are 10 head coaches maximum who make north of 100k in DIII, and probably zero assistants in that range (probably 10-20 who make 60k+).

If you add in Coaches who also have tenured faculty positions and actually teach health/PR courses, the list will grow substantially, but not into the triple digits.

Adjust these figures 10-30% for high or modestly high cost of living locales like NYC, Boston, DC, San Fran, etc, etc.

There are 0 D3 coaches making >100k.

Very successful coach, several national championships/national champions, full-time: $33,000.

Running Slow wrote:

Fringe benefits can include a lot of things. The institution decides what a fringe benefit might be. You seem to be acting like a dick for no reason.

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p15b/ar02.html

I'd say in the mid 50k range for DIII coaches. Some more some less. Really depends on the running tradition at the school and the athletic budgets.

The poster I was referring to was making S up and claimed it was easily verified on a public website then didn't verify it. He's an idiot or a liar. Not hard to end the discussion with a link.

You seem to be from the Trump school of facts.