by Joe Snyder
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The big headlines last week in the Austin American Statesman, the daily newspaper I read every day, read: "Winning ways pay off for Mack Brown, the football coach at the University of Texas at Austin." He’s the highest paid college football coach in the U.S. with his new salary set at $5,000,000. I love to watch football on television but prefer watching Missouri, Kansas State or K.U. games over Texas games. However, his salary quite simply is way too much.
According to the newspaper, this week a special meeting of the faculty council at the university was called criticizing the pay raise as "seemingly inappropriate." The vote was approved unofficially because not enough of the council members were present. UT President William Powers, Jr. defended the raise saying it was a good investment for UT’s financial strength and stability as the institution goes forward, adding that the athletic program has no major problems and has channeled millions into the academic program in recent years.
We’ve never paid too much attention to the salary of football coaches but checked out a few others since this came up and this $5,000,000 was way, way more than any other college football coach has made For instance what I read was that M.U.’s football coach’s salary in 2009 was $2.52 million. Kansas State football coach, Bill Snyder’s salary, who at one time was a teacher in Gallatin, was way less.
The University of Texas president has frozen staff salaries, most faculty salaries, and made major cuts at most levels at the university in Austin because of the budget crisis. The cuts also have included the layoff of many long-term teaching and support staff. Yet the head football coach at UT is getting a $2 million raise to celebrate his team winning the second conference title won by any of his teams. In the midst of all this, the regents and UT System’s presidents have gone off on a retreat at a trendy resort to discuss how to pursue excellence in difficult economic times. Where are their priorities?
It was noted that the team has been highly criticized yearly for having nearly the lowest six-year graduation rate for minority student-athlete players among the Bowl Championship Series top 25 schools. Another key criticism from many corners contend that UT tries to play weak teams so their (UT) stats will look good.
One professor wrote, " I agree with the shame on our highly questionable leadership, especially when we have severe budget problems, or don’t we?
A local lawyer writes with some sarcasm: "Personally, I’m upset at my parents. They stressed education to me, when they should have emphasized nothing but sports. This is what people care about, what society values, and what the leaders of our educational systems lust for."
Another comment: "Building a better world, creating well-rounded citizens? Educating our children to cope with the stresses of a fast-paced world? Raising a generation of engineers to actually get the U.S. to make products to compete with China? Nonsense. What we really need are people to entertain us and for others to shepherd that entertainment. Now THAT is worth the money. Makes you feel good to be an educator, doesn’t it!?
More than one said:" I could not believe what I was hearing about the coach’s pay. Even more shame on Mack Brown for accepting it.
This column may not mean much to University of Texas officials or their boosters or many of my readers, but it just shows how some of our colleges are spending their money. If this is where one of the so-called leading research institutions places its priorities, what on earth does this say for the future?