COVID-19 Doesn't Hurt Coaches' Wallets

While many of us suffer in Louisiana from draconian job losses due to COVID-19, and an imploding state budget due to the historical drop in the price per barrel for oil, it’s calming  to know that LSU football coaches will be well taken care of.  Athletic director, Scott Woodward,  has submitted to the LSU Board of Supervisors a request to increase the salaries of coaches a whopping average of 28%.

Apparently for a few of these requested increases this is just a formality because some have technically already been approved.  These include Orgeron’s six year, $41 million contract, and the new defensive coordinator’s three year $2.3 million.  Basically, we are talking about nine additional assistant coaches salary boosts, bring the grand total to over $13.5 million for the LSU  football coaching staff.

Second to Orgeron’s ‘sweet deal’ is the one set for offensive line coach, James Cregg, who will receive a 46% salary increase over his last year’s salary.  The other coaches have salary increases that range from 5% on up. 

So as LSU enters very difficult times in terms of the academic cuts, that will be incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which will affect its future for several years, it should be reassuring to all to know that LSU football staff will continue to be rewarded for their past successes.

One has to wonder yet again just what are the priorities at LSU as it attempts to move forward?  Certainly if it had not been able to turn out all those wonderful healthcare providers over the years our state would be suffering even more deaths from COVID-19.

Maybe the LSU Board of Supervisors should consider redirecting  those salary increases to reward and help continue that success.  

And yes, I am aware that LSU athletics does donate some of its funds to the LSU operating budget, but the new athletic director is pushing  to rollback that policy.