*1/3/22 Bump - after James Laurinaitis' comments on Brian Hartline's value/pay and performance on ESPN Columbus 97.1 FM today, and ahead of the announcement James is joining Notre Dame's football staff*
There's multiple reports that Marcus Freeman called and made a push to add Brian Hartline to Notre Dame's staff. I'm not surprised at all, it would make sense that they're close given they played ball together. But knowing Tommy Rees turned down Brian Kelly's push to get him to come to LSU, it's not like Freeman could even offer Hartline a promotion. But he certainly could fatten his wallet.
Which brings me to how Ohio State should handle its own staff's salaries given the money that's flying around college football's national landscape. It has never seemed to bother OSU in the past, at least on the outside looking in - and OSU has been ok lagging just behind the leading market setters across the board. I wouldn't bat an eye if Ohio State raised Hartline's salary well above his current 600k - if both Wilson and Olave are 1st round picks. He's recruited as well as anyone and while his 600k may already be the highest paid WR coach in the country (I didn't spend a lot of time confirming, but know Bama's WR coach has a base of 575k with lots of additional incentive ability) in order to keep him feeling valued amongst his peers I think it makes sense to increase it even more.
Ryan Day entered this season with the 9th highest salary for head coaches, and we've already seen the figures James Franklin, Mel Tucker, Lincoln Riley, and Brian Kelly are now set to make - does OSU feel any pressure at all to give Day a bump? For me, it's a fascinating topic where I'll be interested to see how/if Ohio State responds at all with his salary and performance - and how they'd spin it if he does get a bump.
It's safe to conclude that the 2021 season results (thus far) will arguably be our worst since the 2015 season - and it wouldn't take a hard argument to suggest it is the worst season results since the 2011 Luke Fickell season. I surprised myself just thinking about it. It's wild:
- 2021 - 2 loss reg season (including loss to arch rival)
- 2020 - Undefeated reg season; Conf Champ; Playoff berth; Title appearance
- 2019 - Undefeated reg season; Conf Champ; Playoff berth
- 2018 - 1 loss reg season; Conf Champ
- 2017 - 2 loss reg season; Conf Champ
- 2016 - 1 loss reg season; Playoff berth
- 2015 - 1 loss reg season
- 2014 - 1 loss reg season; Conf Champ; Playoff berth; Title appearance; National Champions
- 2013 - Undefeated reg season; Conf Champ appearance
- 2012 - Undefeated reg season
- 2011 - The season we're blessed to be able to forget
I can see some people saying the 2015 season ended in the same results, but it was only a 1 loss season (and it never trailed in that one loss at any point of game with time left on the clock) and it certainly didn't lose handily to our arch rival. I don't know how you reward your staff with raises given the results on the field this year.
I don't believe in a knee-jerk reaction from Gene Smith or any board of trustees to hand out raises simply because of what other coaches and staff are making elsewhere - but I absolutely believe you'd want to address or at least acknowledge these other crazy contracts with your head coach and staff, and have some sort of game plan. I would want to deal with topics like these head-on because the last thing I'd want (at least for the members of the staff I highly value and want to make sure we keep) is my guys looking across the landscape and starting to wonder what if. The arms race seems closer to home more than ever, and I'd think coach Day, and Gene would want to keep a guy like Hartline feeling valued and satisfied. If that means bumping him to clear #1 WRs coach in the country, I'd swiftly prep a check to be cut.
