The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Old Dominion football coach Bobby Wilder received a two-year contract extension that includes a hefty raise and new incentive clauses that could stretch the contract well beyond its prescribed run through 2014.
Wilder, who three years ago started ODU football from scratch, will be paid a base salary of $200,000, retroactive to Dec. 14. His original six-year deal had paid him a base of $150,000.
The most telling performance incentive in the contract is a one-year extension each time the Monarchs make the FCS playoffs and a two-year extension should they reach the semifinals. The limit of the possible extensions stretches to 2020.
Wilder and his agent Dennis Cordell had been in negotiations with ODU officials since December.
"Bobby's leadership skills on and off the field, his coaching success and his connection to our fans and community are to be commended," athletic director Dr. Jim Jarrett said in a press release. "The extension helps ensure the success of our program for many years to come."
The Monarchs went 9-2 in their first season competing at the Football Championship Subdivision as an independent. In 2011 they begin play in the Colonial Athletic Association, the country's toughest FCS conference.
Wilder's contract includes merit raises during the course of the contract and performance raises during each year's annual salary review. The contract stipulates a $7,500 bonus for appearances in the playoffs and a $25,000 bonus for a national title. He will also receive $50,000 annually for participation in television and radio shows produced by ODU, as well as use of a car provided by the school.
Wilder also has a buyout clause in the contract, which calls for a payment of $150,000 annually for the remaining years on the contract, not to exceed $450,000.
Wilder also worked in numerous checkpoints for the well-being of his coaching staff, and the new contract gives him autonomy in the making of ODU's football schedule. The contract also stipulates that he will have input in the design and development of future facilities.
"I am humbled and grateful for this contract," Wilder said. "This is good for our football program and for ODU as a whole.
"My contract situation has been out there since the Georgetown game (Oct. 31). And it was out there throughout this year's recruiting process. I am happy to get it behind us and move forward."
Rich Radford, (757) 446-2463, rich.radford@pilotonline.com
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There can be a major return on investment a coach can make. If he or she fills the stadium with paying fans it can be a big thing financially to the university as well as bring a more marketable name to the school. Also if you want to look at big time collegiate football and the profit it brings into a institution in general as well as the entrance fee for getting season tickets .....take a look at this link.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/22/most-vaulable-college-football-teams-business-sports-college-football_slide.html
This is fine by me
I'm an ODU fan and I want to see ODU football go to the next level, Wilder is the best candidate to do just that.
If you don't like this pay raise then don't support ODU athletics. This salary is nothing compared to what UVA and VT coaches get paid.
People always want to criticize others who make more than they do.
Jealous?????
All the haters here are either Vatech fans who are Jealous of ODU's rising Athletic program......or some random VCU guys down from the zoee writing all this hating stuffs. Hmmmm...Rich is from VCU too right?
Know your facts
There sure are a lot of angry bitter people who are quick to comment on things that they know nothing about. A coach who is a huge part of a large new revenue stream gets a nice raise, and all the free-market haters start in with their display of ignorance. Rather than taking the time to write irrational reactionary comments on a message board, you should invest those minutes by going out and learning about the topic the offends you. Education is only a wonderful thing when it is actually used to educate.
Wilder the man
Congratulation Mr. Wilder .............now lets beat W&M and Hampton next year
GO ODU !
Jealous?
It sounds like people that require tax handouts to pay their salary are a bit jealous of a high paying position that pays its own way.
We have season tickets and
We have season tickets and are avid boosters. We the tax paying folks are the reason ODU exist. NRHA gave the land to the school and The extra money we pay and paid for our kids and grandkids supports this increase in cost for us. If the cost are kept in control, more kids would go to school. The coaches are going to coach regardless.
Football has failed once, now is not the time to start spending before the team actually plays a respectable schedule and makes money - ODU IS STILL IN THE RED
2 words:SHUT UP!
2 words:SHUT UP!
Why bother
This is the same ignorant argument that has been posted in every article about Wilder. The schedule we played was harder than all of the startup programs in the last 15 years in FCS. Those teams could not do better than 7-5 and very few even broke .500. The schedule was easy in the context of regular FCS but for players who have never played in FCS and had one year of strength and conditioning at the collegiate level it was not as easy as it seemed. Generally the argument comes from people who have no idea what a good team looks like. ODU was thoroughly prepared for every opponent because our coach's attention to detail is up there with the best. Like a master chess player Wilder knows how to outwit his opponent. He utilized our strengths and understood our weaknesses. More importantly he took advantage of the other team’s weaknesses. Any other coach and would have barley cracked .500. Our team was weak in a lot of areas yet we went 9-2. If you knew anything about football you would have seen that on the field. Without the turnovers we created we would have been terrible.
Football coach salary
As an Alumni of ODU I get calls all the time requesting money. Apparently if they can pay $200,000 for a coach they do not need mine. I will no longer contribute