McCaffrey’s contract includes benchmarks for attendance, academics as well as wins

Ed McCaffrey earned more than $18.5 million over 13 playing seasons in the NFL. The former Broncos wide receiver’s break into college football coaching, however, will begin with a more modest paycheck.

The University of Northern Colorado Board of Trustees on Friday approved the employment contract for McCaffrey, hired as UNC’s football coach in December, to a 5-year deal with an annual base salary of $190,000.

McCaffrey, the head football coach at Valor Christian High School the past two seasons, can increase his pay by up to $72,500 by hitting a variety of incentive benchmarks laid out in the contract:

Fan attendance

• $10,000 for average home paid attendance of 3,000 per game in Year 1; 3,500 per game in Year 2; and 4,000 per game in Years 3-5. These totals might be more difficult to reach if college football stadiums are forced to roll back attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Academics

• NCAA Academic Performance Rate: $10,000 for football student-athlete annual scoring at 950 or above in Year 1; 960 or above in Years 2-5.

• Graduation Success Rate: $5,000 for 82% or above annually.

• Team GPA: $2,500 for above a 2.85 after the fall and spring semesters annually.

Football success

• $25,000 for winning the Football Championship Subdivision national championship.

• $10,000 for an FCS playoff appearance.

• $10,000 for winning or sharing the Big Sky Conference title.

• $10,000 for winning Big Sky Coach of the Year.

• $5,000 for six wins in a regular season and an additional $5,000 for seven or more wins.

Other details

McCaffrey’s deal also comes with several benefits, including

“a courtesy car, available country club membership, and cell phone.”

McCaffrey’s contract buyout, should he take another coaching job within five years, is structured on when he provides written notice of departure to UNC — $300,000 on or before Dec. 1, 2020; $250,000 on or before Dec. 1, 2021; $200,000 on or before Dec. 1, 2022; $100,000 on or before Dec. 1, 2023.

McCaffrey takes over UNC’s program from Earnest Collins Jr., who was fired in November after posting a 28-72 record in nine seasons.

UNC, formerly a Division-II powerhouse with two national titles (1996-97), has struggled to gain its footing in the FCS.

Additionally, UNC’s Board of Trustees was expected to approve the employment contract of new head men’s basketball coach Steve Smiley, the team’s associate head coach the past four seasons.

Smiley, also signed for a 5-year deal, will earn a base salary of $156,938 per season. It includes 10 contract incentives for academic and team success ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 annual payouts.

Smiley replaces Jeff Linder, who accepted the head men’s basketball coaching job at Wyoming.