The University of Alabama is famously home to the Million Dollar Band, but following a Board of Trustees Compensation Committee meeting Tuesday, Alabama can claim a $6.5 million man: head football coach Nick Saban.
The Compensation Committee approved the long-confirmed contract extension offered to Saban, along with raises for many Alabama assistants. The newly amended contract will pay the four-time national champion coach $6.5 million per year with a $400,000 completion bonus following the final game of each season.
“We are honored by the commitment the University of Alabama has made to us with this new contract,” Saban said in a UA Athletics press release. “It is certainly a mutual agreement in terms of our commitment to the University of Alabama. We will continue to work hard to keep our football program among the nation’s elite. My passion has always been to develop young men to their full potential as student-athletes. We’ve had great success in that area at Alabama, and I’m appreciative of all the support and the resources we receive from the administration in order to make that happen.”
The amended contract will also keep Saban in Tuscaloosa until 2022, which would be his 15th year as head coach of the Crimson Tide.
“We are pleased to announce that Coach Saban’s contract extension has been approved, and that he’ll be our head football coach for many years to come,” Director of Athletics Bill Battle said. “He is the best coach in the country, and he’s brought Alabama back to the pinnacle of college football. His success on the field is obviously second to none, but Coach Saban’s influence on academics and all the other areas of our athletic programs are equally impressive to me.”
Saban’s impact in the classroom and the Tuscaloosa community is well-documented, with the Crimson Tide’s Academic Progress Rating consistently among the top in the nation, improving steadily since Saban’s arrival in 2007. Saban is involved in a number of charities, including his foundation, “Nick’s Kids,” and the team earned the 2011 Disney Spirit Award for its response to the April 27 tornadoes.
“Our graduation rates are among the best in the country, and that means as much or more than the victories on the field. We want our players to be more successful in life because they were involved with our program, and I think we’ve been able do that. Terry and I are also proud to continue to contribute to the growth at the University of Alabama, this community and the state of Alabama. We’ve been able to do some outstanding things through Nick’s Kids, the First Generation Scholarship Fund, and we’re proud to help build the new St. Francis University Student Center. The past eight years have been productive in so many ways, and we are grateful to call Alabama our home.”
Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart’s contract was extended two years, through 2017, though his salary did not change. New offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin was given a three-year contract that pays $680,000 the first two years and $714,000 the third. New defensive coaches Kevin Steele and Bo Davis were signed until February 2016 with contracts that pay $700,000 and $450,000 respectively.
All other assistant coaches were extended to 2016. All but wide receivers coach Bill Napier received a raise.
The Committee also approved contract extensions for volleyball coach Ed Allen and soccer coach Todd Bramble. Bramble’s contract was extended to 2016, while Allen was given a $20,000 raise and a contract until 2018.
See also: “Saban becomes highest paid coach in college football“
