How do we keep Monken?

[EasyEagle]

We're at a disadvantage monetarily. Currently Monken makes $700,000 per year with a max bonus of $125,000. That puts him as the 87th highest paid coach in the NCAA D-1, BEHIND coaches at: Arkansas St, North Texas, Utah St, Marshall, New Mexico, Kansas, Western Michigan, Rice, San Diego St, Middle Tennessee, Wyoming, Army, Illinois, Air Force, Tulane, Louisiana-Lafayette, Boise St and South Florida.

Schools like ECU, Memphis and Houston pay DOUBLE what Monken makes! That's right, those 3 schools pay their head coaches $1.4 million! Cincinatti pays the highest of the non-Big 5 programs, with Tuberville getting a cool $2.2 million. So, Monken could double his pay check if he goes to Memphis!

University of Virgina's coach just resigned....he was making $3.2 million! I don't know if they would be interested in Monken, but they could offer him $2.2 million (saving the school $1 million) and I'd lay money he would be gone!!

Somehow....we need to get Monken up to $1 million, but even that may not be enough to keep him. However, it may be enough to attract a really good coach when he decides to move on. I know $1 million per year sounds crazy! But even then, he would only be the 71st highest paid coach in D-1, just below ULL's Mark Hudspeth of the Sunbelt.

Monken's contract is a four year contract, so he has one year remaining. I'm hoping we were smart enough to put a big buy out clause in there. If I'm the AD, I'm already drafting a new contract right now to lock him up for another 3-4 years!

 

[SSME]

Absolutely !!! This has not been easy for him, but he has fought through just like our current team.

He deserves everything we can do for him.

 

[wargoat]

Agree Easy. I see We either pony up more money through donations or the president maybe needs to push for a increase of sport fee on student Tuition. That may keep Monken one more year.

 

[eagleboy415]

You won't be able to get more from student tuition. Remember a few years back when a vocal minority of students tried to remove student fees entirely?

 

[Wonder Boy Eagle]

Maybe he will stick around. From a psychological view, he has a lot invested in this program. He built the thing from nothing. Fedora had no problem leaving. He took a good team, made it better and ran. Monken had squat. He took raw building materials and turned them into a mansion. That took a lot of time, talent, thought, etc. so maybe, just maybe, he feels like this is his great work and wants to keep it rolling.

 

[EasyEagle]

I hope you're right Wonder Boy. I still think we need to give him a new contract as soon as possible though. I say give him a two year extension on his current 4 year contract with a bump up to $800K and bonus structure that could get him another $200K for winning CUSA and a the bowl game.

Right now, I know he just got an extra $10,000 for winning the West.

 

[Houston Eagle]

So right now if he does everything right he only earns an like an extra 125k? I know ELLLLLLLLLLLLOS left USM in a deep hole....

 

[ElectroEagle]

Fedora's contract was $650,000 base salary with incentives putting him at $900,000 a year.

Ellis Johnson's contract was $740,000 with a buy out of $700,000 per year left on contract if it was terminated. This year it is paid off (that will free up $700,000 per year), and paying this is a large part of the reason we have been in such bad financial shape. That among other things (almost $1 million in debt plus the 2.1 mill to buy out Johnson's contract).

Monken makes $700,000 with incentives that could total $125,000.

Keep in me we just negotiated a new contract with coke that is much better for the university and puts more money in the athletic department. We also sold the Nebraska game this year to them (was originally to be in Hattiesburg) for a sum of money to help offset some of the debt we still had. Could be a perfect storm of having a great season and elimination of a lot of debt to help up pay a coach more than we have in the past. Lots of rumors of the AD meeting with all the donors one on one, and even some who quit giving a few years back for whatever reason. Who knows what he is cooking up.

Maybe we have a way to offer more that none of us yet know of.

 

[SSME]

A very good perspective, Electro'. Thank you, it gives me hope. And perhaps IT IS all about business, but honestly, somehow I think the key lies in the HEART of Monken and in the HEART of The University of Southern Mississippi.

I believe that Monken is a sincere man. If he believes that this university wants to do something really special in football with him at the heart of it, tells him so, and does ALL it can to provide for him, I believe he would respect that. Monken is a winner, and he will make his home with winners.

Lay all your cards on the table, face up.

Whether by choice or circumstances, at this time we are humble. Humility is a great teacher. Have we learned? Are we winners?

 

[ElectroEagle]

I don't think Monken would get any offers from schools that he really wants to go to this year. Maybe next year. I think he is like Fedora, he will leave for a school in a P5 conference that is kinda well known. Maybe a school that has flirted with being really good in football but never has really had consistent years of good to greatness. Not an established football power school. And those schools likely will not come calling till he has at least a couple years of success at USM.

Having said that, with Johnson's and his staffs contract paid off, maybe that $700,000 a year could be put on top of what we pay Monken now. That would put him at 1.4 million and maybe buy us some more time. If we can afford it.

 

[longhornedeagle]

Hopefully we can keep him through next year. We have been under the radar until now. If we win out though, he's gonna be on everyone's short list next year. Things have always been good around USM when other people want our coach.

 

[Houston Eagle]

Kind of crazy that our alma mater will likely soon tip the million dollar scale for coach's pay. I read somewhere that M.K. Turk.s salary at the first year of coaching in 1976 was $30,000.

 

[THE HEAD EAGLE]

I highly doubt Monken will leave this year, or get any real serious consideration from anyone. He's had ONE winning season. That's it. Hardly any reason for a big school to jump on him. Good grief. If he hits a homerun next season (like say, upsetting LSU) winning the CUSA title, then he'd be thrown into the mix. But now, it's just too early. He's beaten a bunch of bad teams (which is great and sure as hell beats the alternative) but that's the reality. Having said that, I think he's a good coach and has obviously turned things around. If he repeats next season or surpasses the win total, then yeah, we better start worrying.

Except for his first two years having losing records, this is starting to be Fedora all over again. Fedora had ONE QB is tenure here who started all four seasons, Austin Davis. It's possible that Monken will have only one QB during his tenure starting all four seasons, Mullens. Although Mullens didn't actually start his freshman year as QB for the first few games, I think that happened midway through season. But hey, who gives a crap.