http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20090125/SOUTHERNMISS/901250308
AMONG SOME of the more rabid Southern Miss football fans in recent weeks, a misguided panic has set in.
Assistant coaches Tony Hughes and Frank Wilson left for bigger paychecks at Mississippi State and Tennessee, respectively, while a small handful of recruits have wavered in their verbal commitments to Southern Miss.
It may seem strange that Wilson would take a job at State and then a couple of weeks later decide he would rather work in Knoxville. But there is nothing unusual about it when you consider the salary that UT is offering.
Failed Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron will make an amazing $650,000 per season as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for Tennessee. There’s no question that Orgeron is a good defensive line coach and an even better recruiter, but that’s an overwhelming price for a recruiting coordinator. If that’s the price tag to put together a solid class of signees every season, I have been woefully wrong in choosing my line of work.
Consider this – Orgeron now makes the exact same base salary as USM head coach Larry Fedora. But Fedora has some nice icing on top of the cake as he makes an extra $275,375 in external funds.
New UT coach Lane Kiffin will make $2 million while his daddy, Monte, will pull in $1.2 million (!) as the defensive coordinator.
Big Payday
Wilson is scheduled to make $150,000 at Tennessee after making $90,000 in his one year as the running backs coach at Southern Miss. Hughes had the same salary as a Golden Eagle, and will likely see that significantly increase in Starkville.
hattiesburgamerican
1/25/09
