It is no secret that Division One athletic departments across the country spend an exceedingly high amount of money on their head coaches. Amidst a culture where winning matters most, it is without question that athletic directors are willing to pay top dollar to their head coaches in hopes of generating success in a certain sport.
The freshly inked contracts waiting on the athletic director’s desk certainly come with a hefty price. The question for all athletic directors, donors, fans, students and alumni ask — is it worth it?
The Wisconsin Badgers athletic department, like most Power Five athletic departments, are no stranger to spending the big bucks on their head coaches. In the 2021 fiscal year, the Athletic Department shelled out approximately $20.85 million dollars in coaches salaries all together. As a matter of fact, head football coach Paul Chryst leads the entirety of the University of Wisconsin System by collecting an annual salary of $5.25 million as of 2021-2022.
It is worth noting that over 90% of Chryst’s salary is actually paid by the University of Wisconsin Foundation rather than the athletic department. In other words, donors pay for his salary.
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Chryst has sustained consistent success amongst the football program over his eight years at the helm. Though the Badgers have yet to appear in the College Football Playoff, Chryst has accumulated a 67–25 overall record while going 43–17 in Big Ten play. Chryst is 6–1 in Bowl Games at Wisconsin and has finished no worse than third in the Big Ten West.
Regardless of the consistent success, Badger fans question the lack of progression under Chryst, arguing that the football program has become “stale.” Despite grumblings of a lackluster offense following the dismal Washington State loss and Ohio State blowout, the Badgers are still in solid shape under the leadership of Chryst. The question is, are the Badgers settling — or do they believe Chryst is the answer?
Record-wise, the donors are getting their money’s worth. Progression-wise, donors are clinging to the hopes that Chryst can get the Badgers into the College Football Playoff and beyond.
Another coach whose salary is largely dependent upon the University of Wisconsin Foundation is men’s basketball coach Greg Gard. In the 2021 fiscal year, Gard earned a total of $2.27 million, placing him second in the entirety of the University of Wisconsin System.
During his seven years as the Badgers’ head coach, Gard has garnered mixed reviews amongst the Badger faithful. While he has posted a strong .649 overall winning percentage, Gard has failed to take the Badgers on a deep postseason run.
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To further exemplify, the 2021-2022 Wisconsin Badgers started the year unranked and climbed all the way to a three seed in the NCAA Tournament. To show for that historic, Big Ten Regular Season Championship season? A defeating round of 32 upset loss to Iowa State.
Though the Badgers have experienced recent struggles in the NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin basketball still has a strong and consistent winning culture. Gard and his staff seem to have a knack for finding a way to make the pieces fit. Following the footsteps of Hall of Fame coach Bo Ryan is hard to do. Winning in the NCAA Tournament is hard to do. And, at some point, rumbles will continue to occur if Gard’s Badgers continue to fall during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Fresh off a national championship in 2021, Badgers women’s volleyball head coach Kelly Sheffield collected a total salary of almost $346,000, not including his additional bonuses after their championship season. As of 2021, Sheffield has eclipsed an overall record of 236–53, which equates to a .817 winning percentage. With a national championship under his belt, it is fair to claim that Sheffield should be making much more money if compared to his counterparts.
Yes, it is true that the collegiate volleyball market is not as prominent in today’s society as basketball or football. On the contrary, bringing home a national championship to the University of Wisconsin should grant Sheffield a higher salary than what he is taking home currently.
Mark Johnson, the Badgers women’s hockey coach, has also brought home a national championship to the Badger state. As a matter of fact, Johnson has brought home six national titles to Madison. The former NHL player and Olympic Gold Medalist collected a total salary of $384,206.21 during the 2021 fiscal year.
Mark Johnson is the first Division 1 women’s hockey coach to reach 500 wins. That alone further illustrates Johnson’s pivotal impact on the women’s hockey program itself.
Clearly, Wisconsin Badger head coaches represent a plethora of sustained success. From Rose Bowl appearances and Big Ten Regular Season Championships to National Championships, it is evident Badger athletics are in solid shape for generations to come.
The athletic department may hurl $20.85 million dollars towards their head coaches’ salaries as well as a strikingly wide salary gap between men’s and women’s head coaching salaries.
But as crowds from across the state and all walks of life flood into Camp Randall Stadium, the UW Field House and the Kohl Center, the pride for the Wisconsin Badgers can be felt from across the globe. Bursting, bright colors in a beautiful array of red and white swarm the stadiums as fans cheer ever so loudly for their Wisconsin Badgers.
Whether a touchdown is scored, a basket is made, a goal is scored or a spike is delivered, the tradition and pride amongst Badger faithful triumphs over any articulation towards a coach’s salary. The question for all athletic directors, donors, fans, students and alumni ask — is it worth it? Well, most can say yes, indeed it is.
