Nearly seven months after returning to The Plains as head coach, the Gus Malzahn‘s contractual particulars have seen the light of day.
According to al.com, and as expected, Malzahn will average $2.3 million over the course of his five-year Auburn contract. Of that $2.3 million, $500,000 will be base pay; $900,000 for endorsements; and another $900,000 for the all-encompassing media appearances.
Malzahn’s contract also contains several bonuses that could add over $1 million to the deal if certain parameters are reached. The largest would be $500,000 would be for winning the national championship; the smallest would be $25,000 if the team’s APR is between .930 and .949. That number would increase to $75,000 if the APR rises above .950 and $150,000 if it hits 1.000. In 2013, Auburn football’s APR of .950 ranked ninth in the 14-team SEC.
Other bonuses include $150,000 for winning an SEC championship and $100,000 for appearing a BCS bowl/College Football Playoff semifinal.
If Malzahn is fired without cause at any point during the five-year term of his deal, he would be owed $500,000 for every year remaining on the contract. Conversely, he would owe Auburn the same amount for every year remaining if he leaves for another head-coaching job at the collegiate level.
Malzahn’s compensation of $2.3 million would’ve ranked ninth out of 13 SEC head coaches in 2012 -- as Vanderbilt is a private institution, James Franklin’s contract is not subject to public scrutiny. Gene Chizik, fired shortly after the end of the 2012 regular season, earned $3.5 million in his final season with the Tigers, a total that was fourth among SEC coaches.
