College Football Strength And Conditioning Coaches Are Making Ridiculous Money
Should student-athletes be paid? This is one of those questions that will spark up an endless debate. I’ve got a new one for you: Should strength and conditioning coaches be paid more than Division I head football coaches? Well according to the University of Iowa, the answer is yes.
USA Today reports that Iowa’s strength and conditioning coach, Chris Doyle, will make a base salary of $595,000 this season. That’s more than 29 FBS public school head coaches made last year.
“Most of the people who follow our program know that what’s very important to Kirk is student-athlete development — physically, mentally, leadership,” Iowa athletics director Gary Barta said Monday. “He relies heavily on Chris’ role in that.”
I mean, is this real? Are we actually paying weight room monitors this much dough? I just can’t comprehend how someone who watches players lift dumbbells and run on the treadmill all day long can be paid this much.
For comparison sake, Doyle will make $70,000 more than Alabama’s notorious strength and condition coach, Scott Cochran.
My favorite part is the word “coach” in their job titles. In some cases, they even have clauses in their contracts to receive bonus compensation based on the team’s performance! That’s crazy talk. I’m on board with giving the entire Alabama coaching staff some bonus cash for winning the National Championship. That’s well-earned money for leading a team to a title that brought a tremendous amount of exposure and, more importantly, money to the University. But tell me what part of the National Championship game plan Cochran drew up for Alabama? I’m sure he did a hell of a job overseeing the team’s pregame stretch, but give me a break.
Editor’s note: I mean they do get them in shape and conditioned during the offseason so they are prepared to perform.
It doesn’t stop there. Here are some other highly paid strength coaches, via CSCS:
• Mickey Marotti, Ohio State University – $431,558
• Rob Glass, Oklahoma State University. $401,166
• Paul Jackson, University of Mississippi. $375,000
• Vic Viloria, Florida State University. $362,000
• Ben Herbert, University of Arkansas. $340,000
• Pat Moorer, University of Texas. $330,000
How does one even become strength and conditioning coach? Is there an online course I can take tomorrow and then I’m done? Do I have to provide my own whistle?
My high school guidance counselor really dropped the ball on this one. That guy never let me in on the best kept secret out there in the job market. Here’s the job description: Wear comfortable team sponsored gear every single day (will be provided), yell generic inspirational quotes from successful athletes (legally you can’t make up your own), and shoot the shit with the boys as you live vicariously through their college, sorority girl infested lives.
Now that’s L-I-V-I-N.
Yeah, there definitely isn’t enough money in college athletics to go around for the student-athletes..
Image via YouTube
Was not aware they made that kind of money. Being a strength and conditioning coach sounds great.
9 years ago at 12:14 pmGood stuff.
These guys are wrecking the curve for PE majors income
9 years ago at 12:16 pmMost head strength coaches work with ALL athletes on campus, not just football. In general they will be at work for the first team lift around 5 am and will be there for the last one around 8, for 6 days a week. Iowa has 22 varsity teams and he is responsible for designing and running the strength programs for all of those athletes. TLDR: The job is hard as shit and he’s responsible for a lot of the success those athletes have.
9 years ago at 12:22 pmHonestly I’m surprised they’re not making more money. There would be twice the amount of injuries and head coaches wouldn’t have shit to work with without these guys.
9 years ago at 3:35 pmThe head strength coach usually does football 100% and then he has his assistant or two that does three sports and then they has three assistants that each do three sports along with a slew of interns to help them out.
9 years ago at 7:28 pmWhat’s TFM base salary, a high five and a used cup?
9 years ago at 12:23 pmThe life of a Reilly seems pretty shitty.
9 years ago at 12:23 pmComplaining and worrying about what other people do and earn is liberal
9 years ago at 12:39 pmYou clearly aren’t a collegiate athlete and know little to nothing about the time and effort put in by S&C coaches for all sports at school, so why don’t you go back to finishing 5th in your fantasy pool
9 years ago at 12:46 pmCochran sounds like a white CT Fletcher
9 years ago at 12:51 pmYou’re not a bad writer, Tim. But you’re like the sofa in my parents’ living room that nobody sits on. It’s a nice sofa, but its only function is to occupy the space between the end tables.
9 years ago at 12:52 pmTFM NEEDS to have an article about ways to pick-up college athlete chicks. At my school they rarely go to fraternity parties and almost exclusively hangout with the male athletes. It would be great to hear a perspective from other people who faced/overcame this challenge
9 years ago at 1:00 pm^ I would’ve posted this in the forums, but they no longer exist
9 years ago at 1:01 pmThanks for the newsflash
9 years ago at 1:11 pmUh ya think
9 years ago at 7:25 pmWe had a 4 way mixer back when i was in school with the men’s/women’s soccer teams and a sorority and it went really well.
9 years ago at 1:49 pm