IRS audits of schools might delve into salaries of coaches

IRS audits of schools might delve into salaries of coaches
The IRS interim report noted the large number of schools with an athletics coach among the five highest-paid employees who aren’t officers.

USA TODAY surveys of football coaching compensation have shown the average pay for a head coach in the NCAA’s 120-school Football Bowl Subdivision has risen 46% over the last three years, to $1.4 million in 2009. For the 65 schools in the 2009 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, average pay for a head coach for the 2009-10 season was nearly $1.3 million, USA TODAY found.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if universities got questions about how they justify the … compensation package for a (highly paid) coach,” Colombo says.

USAToday.com
5/25/10