Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, May 20, 2013

The Detroit Free Press has a neat piece that chronicles the salaries of Big Ten assistant coaches. Look here and here.

Some thoughts:

  • No shocker to see Ohio State ($3.416 million) on top. But I am a bit surprised that Michigan?s staff is over $600,000 behind the Buckeyes? staff at $2.805 million.
  • The highest paid assistant at seven of the 12 schools is the defensive coordinator. Coordinators at Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois are paid the same.
  • The biggest gap in salary between coordinators on a staff is at Nebraska, where OC Tim Beck makes $390,000 more than DC John Papuchis. Michigan State DC Pat Narduzzi makes $242,500 more than co-OC Dave Warner.
  • Ohio State?s assistants make an average of $379,556, most in the league. The lowest average? Indiana, at $217,367.
  • Shouldn?t Wisconsin?s coordinators each make more than $480,000? This is a program coming off three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances. Imagine what coordinators at an SEC would make if they lead their school to three consecutive league titles.
  • Iowa?s coordinators seem vastly underpaid at $325,000 each. Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota all pay their coordinators more.
  • Michigan, Nebraska and Michigan State are the only staffs where every member makes at least $200,000.
  • Indiana is the lone staff with five assistants making under $200,000. And Indiana is the only staff with just one assistant who makes over $300,000: Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/safeties Doug Mallory at $306,600.
  • Purdue has the two lowest-paid assistants: Linebackers coach Marcus Freeman and running backs coach Jafar Williams each makes $120,000. A third assistant, tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator Gerad Parker, makes just $130,000.
  • The receivers coach is the lowest-paid on five staffs, most of any position.

HIGHEST PAID ASSISTANTS
Greg Mattison, Michigan DC – $750,000
Tim Beck, Nebraska OC – $700,000
Al Borges, Michigan OC – $600,000
Luke Fickell, Ohio State DC – $600,00o
Everett Withers, Ohio State co-DC – $580,000
Tom Herman, Ohio State OC – $550,000
Pat Narduzzi, Michigan State DC – $512,500
Dave Aranda, Wisconsin DC – $480,000
Andy Ludwig, Wisconsin OC – $480,000
Tim Banks, Illinois DC – $400,000
Bill Cubit, Illinois OC – $400,000
John Shoop, Purdue OC – $400,000

HIGHEST PAID NON-COORDINATORS
Kerry Coombs, Ohio State cornerbacks/special teams – $300,000
Thomas Hammock, Wisconsin assistant head coach/running back – $300,000
Stan Drayton, Ohio State running backs – $295,000
Tim Hinton, Ohio State tight ends/fullbacks – $286,000
Mike Vrabel, Ohio State defensive line $286,000
Bobby Kennedy, Iowa receivers $270,000
Reese Morgan, Iowa defensive line. $270,000
Chris White, Iowa running backs/special teams $261,000
Ron Brown, Nebraska running backs $254,800
Barney Cotton, Nebraska associate HC/tight ends/running backs/offensive line $254,800
T.J. Woods, Wisconsin offensive line $250,000
Jim Reid, Iowa defensive assistant $250,000