ESPN: Top-paid coaches dodge salary cuts

Most of the highest-paid college football coaches have avoided the voluntary salary reductions that have swept Power Five programs, according to an ESPN survey. ESPN surveyed the 65 Power Five conference schools along with 10 other prominent basketball programs. At 33 of the 75 schools, at least one of either the football and basketball coach had agreed to have his pay cut to deal with the financial crisis brought on by the pandemic.

But eight of the 10 football coaches with the largest salaries during the 2019-20 academic year have not had their salaries reduced, including Clemson’s Dabo Swinney ($9.3 million) and Alabama’s Nick Saban ($8.9 million), the two highest-paid coaches in the sport. Among basketball coaches half of the 10 highest paid have not taken cuts, including Kentucky’s John Calipari, the nation’s top paid coach.

Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, who made $7.5 million (tied for third highest with Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher), is the highest-paid football coach to take a pay cut, agreeing to a one-year, 10% reduction.

Among basketball coaches, Duke Mike Krzyzewski’s is the highest paid to agree to a cut. The longtime Blue Devils coach made $7.3 million last year and was part of a round of salary reductions at the school, where the highest-paid employees had their pay trimmed from 2.5% to 10%.

Etc. …

OBITUARY: Bea Gorton, the first women’s basketball coach at Indiana, has died at age 73. Gorton spent four seasons in charge of the Hoosiers, from 1972-76, and went 79-28. She still holds the school record for top winning percentage (.738) as well as the distinction of having coached the only All-American in program history, Debbie Oing.

INDYCAR: In Newton, Iowa, Simon Pagenaud came from the last starting spot before holding off Scott Dixon in the final laps to win the opener of IndyCar’s doubleheader at Iowa Speedway on Friday night. Pagenaud was sent to the back after a fuel pressure issue forced him to scrap his qualifying attempt. He wound up giving team owner Roger Penske his first IndyCar win since purchasing the series late last year.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Alabama picked up two huge additions from the Class of 2021 as twin offensive linemen Tommy and James Brockermeyer from Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints both announced their commitments on Friday. Tommy (6-7, 285 pounds, 5 stars) is the fifth-ranked recruit in the nation among the 2021 class, according to 247Sports. He’s the topranked offensive tackle and the best 2021 prospect in the state. James (6-3, 275, 4 stars) is the top-ranked center in the country and ranked No. 32 overall in the state. He had Texas, LSU and Auburn also on his list.