Finding a coach's salary

Really?

I know high schools in Texas are taking this route to try and protect coaches, but I didn't know they still had to cough it up.

 

This is definitely the way to go. Have done it the past few years with the private school I cover.

But, like redenbacher said, they're going to be a year behind if you're getting them through the school.

 

I once got the salaries of all the coaches at a small DI school for a piece I wrote on the life of assistant coaches. Since I was freelancing, I was charged $15 for the records search. At least the paper I wrote for reimbursed me.

 

Yes and no.
Take West Virginia.
Technically, coaches are state employees who get only one-year contracts. The so-called contract extensions are done through university's athletic boosters club, which receives no state funds and is a private group. Yeah, they file a 990, but the chances of listing a guy like R-Rod's total compensation is slim to none.
However, his base salary - via the University payroll - is public record. See JoePa's recent fight with the Post-Gazette (I think) reagrding his salary being a matter of public record.
The same applies to high school coaches as well. It is an open book.

 

call the coach's agent. unlikely he will divulge the salary, but maybe he'll have an agenda, too, like angling for an extension and/or raise.

 

The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that contracts with shoe companies or other entities are public if it's due to their status as coaches.

 

I remember when I first became aware of this board in 2002, when it was exclusively pro and college beat guys (or people who said they were) and those of us who covered high schools were considered wannabes.
One poster pointed out an example of a prep guy who was in over his head covering a major college program. He said that everyone who has a major college beat should have a copy of the coach's contract on file.
Is that true?

 

Yeah, pretty much. If it's a public school, it should be fairly easy to get. FOI that bad boy.

 

Let's put it this way, the more info you have can't hurt you.

 

It'll come in mighty handy when he gets fired and you need to figure out how much the boosters have to cough up to "buy him out."

You should also get copies of the contracts for all the (public) schools in the conference, which could be a good story in itself but also will come in handy when your coach (or his AD) claims the salary is low and needs to be raised.

Put in a public records request every year. Contracts are renegotiated often and you don't want to have an outdated contract the night the coach gets his second DUI.

 

I used to split FOI duty with another writer on the beat every year (different paper, same chain). "You write the FOI request for the head football coach and offensive assistants, I'll do defensive assistants. You do men's basketball and baseball. I'll do women's basketball and the AD."

 

Here is a free service provided by the Foundation Center.

http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/esearch.php

According to "Writing About Business" (2001) by Terri Thompson, there are also physical libraries the Center runs in NY, Washington, Atlanta, Cleveland and San Francisco. Furthermore, she mentions "200 cooperating collections around the country." However, I do not know where those collections are, or who runs them.