Last year Auburn paid Gus Malzahn $1.3 million to direct its offense.
This year, with Malzahn moving on to become the head coach at Arkansas State, the Tigers will still dole out roughly $1.3 million -- for both of its new coordinators.
On Thursday, AU released documents detailing the contracts of Gene Chizik‘s new assistant coaches and, as expected, the new defensive boss will be the highest-paid coach on Chizik’s staff. Brian VanGorder (pictured), hired to replace Ted Roof earlier this year, will earn $850,000 annually on his two-year contract.
Roof, who left Auburn in December for the same job at UCF before taking the same job at Penn State in January, “earned” $500,000 in 2011.
The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer notes that VanGorder’s salary ties him with Alabama’s Kirby Smart as the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football.
On the offensive side of the ball, Scot Loeffler will make roughly one-third of what his predecessor pulled in. Loeffler’s contract, a two-year deal as well, will pay the former Temple coordinator $500,000 in both 2012 and 2013. Loeffler was officially added to the staff in late January.
New defensive backs coach Willie Martinez will make $255,000 on his one-year contract.
(Photo credit: Auburn athletics)
