Coach to NMSU: ‘a little help?’
Successful program warrants more pay for assistant coaches
LAS CRUCES — Doug Martin called last week’s Arizona Bowl victory the most rewarding experience he has had in coaching college football.
Seeking to build upon the momentum created by winning New Mexico State’s first bowl appearance in 57 years, Martin said that the success the program enjoyed in 2017 is not sustainable unless the university increases its support for athletics and the football program.
“As hard as it was to get here, it’s harder to sustain it and keep it there,” said Martin, who completed his fifth season as head coach. “… All of the advertising that we brought in for the university, that should help the whole university, not just football. I don’t think that every department feels that way, and they need to get on board and work together with us.”
Martin, whose $376,044 annual salary is the lowest among FBS coaches, is not asking for a salary increase for himself. Rather, he is hoping that his assistant coaches are rewarded and enticed to stay.
Among Martin’s wish list moving forward is a full allotment of 10 assistant coaches next season, a salary increase and bonus structure for his coaching staff and for the university to re-visit the buyout structure of his current contract, which was extended in September.
“I just can’t sustain this with eight coaches instead of 10 and with assistant coaches who are constantly looking for jobs because their deal is not done right,” Martin said.
While Martin’s contract extension runs through the 2020 season, it is essentially three one-year contracts that the university can buy out for $180,000 next year or as little as $60,000 in 2020.
“If they want me to stay here, they have to show some commitment and loyalty to me too, so that needs to be redone and done the right way,” Martin said. “In my opinion, there is no way that we can sustain what we just did under these circumstances.”
According to a USA Today database, NMSU’s assistant coaches earned a total of $702,000, which was also the least in FBS. New Mexico pays nine assistant coaches a total of $1.5 million, as does Utah State, the team that the Aggies beat in the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl on Dec. 29.
Defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani is NMSU’s highest paid assistant coach with a $150,000 salary and the only NMSU assistant with a two-year contract.
“I think you could at least get our guys to where all of the assistants are making at least $100,000, and if we can bump a few other people higher than that, then great,” Martin said.
The Aggies paid eight assistant coaches in 2017, which was one fewer than the NCAA allows. The NCAA approved a measure last spring that will add a 10th assistant coach. The measure takes effect next week as teams hit the recruiting trail with the second signing period coming next month.
Finally, Martin hopes future assistant coaching contracts begin and end in the spring rather than December, among other perks.
“That does not cost a dime,” Martin said. “If the university decides to let you go, your family has no salary coming in. But if it’s a March contract, if they let you go, at least you are still getting paid while you are trying to find a job. That doesn’t cost anything, but it is just treating people the right way.”
NMSU athletic director Mario Moccia said the university had to be creative in the offseason to create a $2,000 bonus for each of the assistant coaches and that future boiler plate contracts will include an incentive structure. He’s confident the athletic department will find money for at least a ninth assistant coach.
Adding a 10th would hinge on variables such as potentially extending the athletic department’s debt payment schedule. Athletics will pay the main campus $823,000 in Fiscal Year 2018 to drop its deficit to $3,278,744, which is currently scheduled to be paid off after FY 2021.
“We are in some discussions,” Moccia said. “There is no debt forgiveness, but after last year, we have three years of possibly restructuring our debt and if we did that, it would free up some capital to do some things like hire coaches or help out in recruiting.”