It’s a job that doesn’t generate revenue. It’s the head of a group that loses money for the organization. Why should they be paid well? If they want more money, they need to generate more money.
This. The work doesn't actually create anything. It's helping a small subset of students be entertained with a hobby. And it's a STAFF position that isn't admin. Academic advisors are more necessary to the school's mission. That may seem harsh but it's true. I really liked my college coaches and considered going that route at one time, but once I really looked into it the demands just didn't seem worth it for a vow of poverty.
I don't know if you've even gone to college if you think academic advisors are useful. Oftentimes they're profs who are overworked who end up screwing kids over by not keeping up with the BS fed in from the department or registrar/Dean whoever and provide nothing of value to the kid's experience, especially compared to what coaches are able to give kids.
not every school should fund athletics. It's a tremendous cost to benefit a small group of students.
I do think some D3 schools should drop athletics and focus on "wellness" and intramurals, like what this school did. D3 HBCU (historically black college or university) It's hard to rationalize the cost that only benefits 80 students (and games no one hardly attends :)