Regents approve contracts for six Buffaloes assistants

BO U LDE R » On Wednesday, the University of Colorado regents approved the contracts of six assistant football coaches during a board meeting at the CU South Denver campus.

By a vote of 6-3, the regents approved the contracts for new assistants Jay Johnson (offensive coordinator), Tyson Summers (defensive coordinator), Chris Kapilovic (offensive line) and Jimmy Brumbaugh (defensive line). Reworked deals for returning assistants Darrin Chiaverini (receivers) and Ross Els (inside linebackers) were also approved.

The regents do not vote on contracts below $250,000 in annual salary — and the other four assistants — Darian Hagan, Brian Michalowski, Alfred Pupunu and Travares Tillman — all come in below that threshold. Their contracts have all been submitted for approval to chancellor Phillip DiStefano.

This is the second year that state legislation has allowed for all of the assistants to receive multi-year contracts. Prior to new legislation adopted in the summer of 2017, only six multiyear contracts could be given on the entire campus, and typically only one of those went to a football assistant coach.

Overall, CU’s salary pool for assistant football coaches will decrease slightly from 2018. In 2018, the assistants were paid roughly $3.35 million as a group. This year, the staff will make roughly $3.1 million as a group, but that number will jump to $3.44 million in 2020.

Johnson, hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, will be the highest-paid assistant on staff. He received a threeyear contract worth a total of $1.775 million. He will be paid $550,000 in base and supplemental salary in the first year, with a raise to $600,000 in the second year and $625,000 in the third year.

Summers also received a three-year contract and will be paid $500,000 annually. The rest of the assistants received two-year deals.

Chiaverini, entering his fourth season with the Buffs, will take a pay cut. Retained by Tucker to coach receivers, Chiaverini’s contract is for two years and $400,000 per year. As co-offensive coordinator under previous head coach Mike MacIntyre, he had a $500,000 salary last year.

The other two returning coaches, Els (inside linebackers) and Hagan (running backs) are in similar roles as last year, and both received a $25,000 annual raise from their previous deals.

During Wednesday’s vote, regents Jack Kroll, Linda Shoemaker and Lesley Smith all voted against the contracts.

Shoemaker has voted against football contracts each of the last three times they have come before the board. She voted against the assistant contracts in February 2018 and against Tucker’s contract in December. Shoemaker also abstained from voting on MacIntyre’s extension in June 2017. Prior to the vote, she got up from the table to get a drink of water and was counted as “absent,” despite standing just a few feet from the table.

“I was thirsty. No further comment,” she said when asked by a Daily Camera reporter about why she got up from the table.

Kroll also voted against Tucker’s contract. Smith was elected to the board in November and this was her first vote on football contracts.