Considering the overall value of the Texas football program, it may come as a bit of a shock the Longhorns have never paid an assistant coach $1 million prior to now. That is no longer the case in Austin after Texas regents put their stamp of approval on contract terms for defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. Orlando will join the ranks of handsomely-paid assistant coaches with over $1 million attached to his contract.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, Orlando’s contract will net him $1.09 million annually through the end of March 2020. That puts Orlando just ahead of Alabama’s Jeremy Pruitt according to the database of coaching salaries organized by USA Today, going off the 2016 numbers. Orlando joins a growing list of assistant coaches being paid at least a million dollars in 2017. Michigan will be paying three assistants $1 million or more this upcoming season.
Texas has plenty of resources at its disposal, and it is clear the university is committed to supporting head coach Tom Herman and his staff financially. Orlando’s predecessor in Austin, Vance Bedford, was paid $800,625 in total pay in 2016. Bedford was certainly experienced prior to joining Charlie Strong at Texas, with assistant coaching experience dating back to 1987 at the college level. That’s a few more years than Orlando has under his belt, but Orlando and Herman have been together since Herman brought him to Houston in 2015.
“I mean, I’ve seen Todd Orlando make chicken salad out of some lesser parts, so I have a lot of confidence in that staff and what they’re able to do with whatever talent that we’ve inherited,” Herman said recently, per the Austin American-Statesman.
Texas making a move to pay an assistant coach this richly speaks volumes. When an assistant coach receives a $1 million (or more) contract, the message resonates that the program is invested in providing stability and competing with the best of the best. Remember, this is also the same school that just splurged on TVs above players’ lockers. Now, Texas is showing they are willing to spend money on the assistant coaches as well like never before.
In addition to Orlando’s sizable contract being approved by Texas regents, seven other contracts for assistants were approved. Among them was a three-year contract for offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who will be paid $790,000 per year.
