Something for the Regents

The Regents' Special Committee on Athletics will be meeting tomorrow. Here's a note from the Sacramento Bee committee members might want to ponder:

...Former UCLA Football Coach Chip Kelly earned more in 2023 than the combined pay of all 10 chancellors in the University of California system...

Kelly left UCLA last year and is now the offensive coordinator at the Ohio State University. His record at UCLA last year was 8-5. His record from 2018 through 2024 was 35-34. He was replaced by DeShaun Foster, who reportedly makes less than half of Kelly’s annual salary — $3 million. Funding for athletics often comes from boosters, sponsors, TV revenue and ticket sales — not taxpayers or students. However, UCLA’s athletic program reported a $36.6 million deficit in the 2023 fiscal year, according to the Los Angeles Times. Athletics received about $2 million from students fees and direct institutional support in a recent budget, and the university forgave about $10 million in debt on athletic facilities, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Chip Kelly’s $7.1 million pay package last year would put him among the 20 highest-paid coaches in the nation, based on lists compiled by Front Office Sports and 247 Sports. He made $5.8 million in 2022. In total, he earned about $30.5 million during his tenure from 2018 through 2023 — equivalent to roughly $870,000 per win.

Other UC coaches also raked in huge salaries. UC Berkeley Football Coach Justin Wilcox earned about $4.4 million last year. His team was 6-7 in 2023. UCLA Basketball Coach Mike Cronin earned $4.3 million. His team won 16 games and lost 17 last year. Rounding out the top five highest paid coaches were UC Berkeley Basketball Coach Mark Madsen, who earned $2 million, and former UC Berkeley Basketball Coach Mark Fox, who earned $1.7 million. Madsen’s team won 13 games and lost 19 in 2023. Fox’s team was 3-29 in his last season...

Full story at https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article292259030.html.