Who is the highest paid employee of the State of Maryland? It’s not really a trick question because the answer in Maryland is the same as the answer in almost every other state…the university football coach.
The University of Maryland football coach, Mike Locksley, is the lowest paid head football coach in the Big Ten Conference at a measly $2.5 million a year. I’m sure he’s worth every penny of it, even though his team dropped their opener to Northwestern 43 – 3 on Saturday. I’m sure it will get better.
Why do I even ask this question? The NYT this morning carries a story about colleges and universities cutting programs due to deficits brought on by the corona virus pandemic. Professors are being furloughed and entire programs are being cut. The University of South Florida, for example, has eliminated their entire undergraduate education program. I guess they think we don’t need any more teachers. In case you’re wondering, the USF football coach, Jeff Scott, is paid $1.8 million a year.
I’m sure some of you are saying ‘But the entire athletic budget is funded by ticket sales and athletic donors’ and so it doesn’t take any money away from the university. Sadly, that’s almost never true. One of the biggest sources of athletic department funding is the ‘Student Athletic Fee’. It’s a guaranteed source of revenue and it’s not cheap. At the University of Virginia, for example, undergraduates pay $657 a year to support the athletic department. Many, of course, will be paying this for years as a part of their student loan.
Maybe it’s time to rethink our priorities.
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