STRONG GRADUATION RATES MEAN PAYDAYS FOR COACHES
The NCAA’s release of its latest graduation rate figures Wednesday allowed the association a chance to trumpet further academic progress by Division I college athletes. It also allowed some coaches and athletics directors to celebrate the triggering of performance bonuses. At least three Bowl Subdivision football head coaches — including Alabama’s Nick Saban — became set for bonuses of at least $100,000, and several ADs picked up five-figure sums. At Northern Illinois, the contracts of head football coach Rod Carey and AD Sean Frazier translate the Huskies’ academic performance into payments for football assistant coaches and various administrative staffers. Georgia Tech football coach Paul Johnson and Fresno State football coach Tim DeRuyter will be among the biggest graduation-rate bonus winners, with each getting $125,000. The federal graduation rate is based on the percentage of athletes who graduated within six years from the school at which they initially enrolled. Under the federal methodology, an athlete who transfers is counted against the school’s or team’s graduation rate. The federal grad rate setup allows for comparisons between athlete populations and overall student populations. The NCAA Graduation Success Rate, among other differences with the federal rate, does not penalize a school if an athlete transfers while in good academic standing.