Assistant contracts approved

The Colorado Board of Regents approved contracts for five new football assistant coaches, as well as a restructured deal for offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini on Thursday.

A new, three-year deal for Chiaverini, who was promoted to offensive coordinator by first-year head coach Karl Dorrell, was approved, along with two-year contracts for Danny Langsdorf (quarterbacks coach), Demetrice Martin (cornerbacks), Brett Maxie (safeties), Mitch Rodrigue (offensive line) and Chris Wilson (defensive line).

The regents do not vote on contracts below $250,000 in annual salary, so new tight ends coach Taylor Embree had his contract (two years, $200,000 annually) submitted to and approved by chancellor Phillip Distefano.

CU has also given outside linebackers coach Brian Michalowski a new two-year contract worth $200,000 annually.

Technically, the salary pool for assistants in 2020 is $3.425 million, which would be the most in CU history and up from the pool of $3.1 million in 2019. However, each of the coaches will take a temporary, five-percent salary reduction for the 2020-21 fiscal year because of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chiaverini, entering his fifth season at CU, becomes the highest-paid assistant on staff after signing a three-year deal worth an average of $600,000 in base and supplemental salary. He is scheduled to make $550,000 this year (minus the 5 percent reduction); $600,000 in 2021 and $650,000 in 2022.