VIRGINIA’S COST PER WIN: $3.2M

Western Mich. among most cost effective

The University of Virginia paid new football coach Bronco Mendenhall more this season than his predecessor, Mike London, was scheduled to make last season. It also paid Mendenhall’s nine on-field assistants considerably more than it was paying London’s.

For all that, the Cavaliers ended up with a 2-10 record this season — two fewer wins than they had last season — and the greatest cost per win of any Football Bowl Subdivision public school, an average of more than $3.2 million.

The figures are based on the amount each school was scheduled to pay its head coach, onfield assistants and head strength coach, according to USA TODAY Sports’ annual analysis of football coaches’ compensation.

London, who resigned late in November 2015, made just under $3.2 million, including a $750,000 one-time longevity payment for having been on the job through Jan. 15, 2015. His assistants were making just under $2.5 million, including $20,000 in signing bonuses.

Mendenhall is making nearly $3.3 million from Virginia this season, including a $25,000 onetime signing bonus. His assistants are making just more than $3 million, including a combined $80,000 in signing bonuses. (Because USA TODAY Sports added strength coaches’ pay to its survey this year, that amount is not included in the comparison.)

Rutgers also did not get immediate results from its coaching change. The Scarlet Knights went from 4-8 last season under Kyle Flood to 2-10 this season under Chris Ash, who is making about $750,000 more than Flood did — although Ash’s on-field assistants are making about $250,000 less than Flood’s did.

However, Virginia and Rutgers potentially can take solace from Western Michigan. After firing Bill Cubit following the 2012 season, Western Michigan hired P.J. Fleck, paid him more than it was paying Cubit and saw the team’s record drop from 4-8 to 1-11.

This season, the Broncos have gone 13-0, with a victory in the Mid-American Conference championship game and a berth in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2.

Western Michigan also ended up as the second-most cost-efficient staff of any FBS public school at an average of a little less than $165,000 per win.

Idaho (8-4) led the way, paying about $155,000 for each of its wins.

Western Michigan’s cost-effectiveness was helped by its domination of a Group of Five conference and by Fleck’s basic pay of about $800,000. Though that’s the greatest of any Mid- American Conference coach (and more than double what Western Michigan was paying Cubit), it’s in the bottom third among all FBS public school head coaches. On the other hand, the Broncos did win road games against Big Ten opponents Northwestern and Illinois.

Michigan had the greatest cost per win among schools with at least 10 wins. With coach Jim Harbaugh getting $9 million this season, including two $2 million deferred payments rather than what will be his usual one, the Wolverines’ 10 wins cost more than $1.35 million apiece. Even if Harbaugh’s extra $2 million is eliminated from the equation, Michigan’s average cost per win would be more than $1.15 million.

Oklahoma, which had the second-greatest cost per win among schools with at least 10 wins, paid about $330,000 less than Michigan did for each of its 10 wins.

Meanwhile, Colorado paid an average of just more than $485,000 for its 10 wins, the lowest cost per win for a Power Five public school with at least 10 wins.