So, this is what going “all in” looks like.
UW’s assistant coach salary pool underwent an enormous expansion this offseason — growing from $5.745 million in 2022 to roughly $7.483 million this year, according to contracts made available by the university. That’s an increase of $1.738 million for UW’s 10 full time assistant coaches (not counting additional analysts, recruiting, strength and support staff).
For context, just six public programs surpassed $7.483 million in assistant coach salaries last season (according to USA Today’s college football salary database): Ohio State ($8.833 million), LSU ($8.555 million), Georgia ($8.4 million), Alabama ($8.36 million), Texas A&M ($7.98 million) and Texas ($7.93 million).
The Huskies finished 22nd nationally and third among public Pac-12 programs last fall, behind Oregon (No. 8 nationally, $7.035 million) and Utah (No. 21 nationally, $5.85 million).
(Private schools, like USC and Stanford, are not required to make their salaries publicly available.)
The Huskies’ $7.483 million assistant salary pool is easily the biggest in UW history — and an obvious indication of the program’s goals in 2023.
UW football assistant coach salary pool
2019: $5.94 million (10th nationally)
2020: $5.15 million (17th nationally)
2021: $4.87 million (22nd nationally)
2022: $5.745 million (22nd nationally)
2023: $7.483 million
Of course, that leap is tied to the retention of ascendant offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb — whose salary increased from $1.02 million in 2022 to $2 million annually, after the Huskies led the nation in passing (369.8 yards per game) and third-down conversions (56.83%) and finished second in total offense (516.2 yards per game) last season. Grubb — who elected to stay despite overtures from Alabama and Texas A&M — is the only Husky assistant to receive a two-year extension, through 2025.
Should Grubb leave for a position other than that of a Division I head coach or a role in the NFL, he would owe a buyout dependent on the date of his departure. Those buyout figures include 100% of his guaranteed annual compensation ($2 million) prior to the 2023 Pac-12 championship game, 75% of his guaranteed annual pay ($1.5 million) prior to the 2024 conference title game and 50% prior to the 2025 game ($1 million).
Eight other UW assistants received raises and one-year extensions, amending their initial two-year deal. The only assistant who was not awarded a raise/extension is cornerbacks coach Juice Brown, whose contract (including a $300,000 annual salary) is set to expire following the 2023 campaign.
2023 UW assistant coaching staff salaries
Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ryan Grubb: $2 million ($1.02 million in 2022)
Associate head coach/wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard: $800,000 ($650,000 in 2022)
Offensive line coach Scott Huff: $850,000 ($700,000 in 2022, will receive another raise to $875,000 in 2024)
Tight ends coach Nick Sheridan: $508,000 (the equivalent of $450,000 from Feb. 1 to June 30, $550,000 from July 1 through 2024) ($300,000 in 2022)
Running backs coach Lee Marks: $425,000 ($400,000 in 2022)
Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach William Inge: $725,000 ($650,000 in 2022)
Co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Chuck Morrell: $725,000 ($650,000 in 2022)
Edge coach Eric Schmidt: $575,000 ($525,000 in 2022)
Defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield: $575,000 ($550,000 in 2022)
Cornerbacks coach Juice Brown: $300,000 (no change from 2022)
Apart from Grubb’s nearly $1 million bump, Shephard, Huff and Sheridan each received the most significant raises. Shephard (who produced two 1,000-yard receivers, in Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan) and Huff (whose offensive line surrendered just seven sacks, second in the nation) each earned $150,000 raises, with Huff’s salary set to grow by $25,000 more (to $875,000) in 2024. Sheridan, meanwhile, had a $150,000 bump (from $300,000 in 2022 to $450,000 in 2023) written into his initial two-year deal, but will see his salary rise again to $550,000 on July 1.
Inge ($75,000), Morrell ($75,000), Schmidt ($50,000), Breckterfield ($25,000) and Marks ($25,000) each received salary increases as well.
The amended contracts also include standard performance incentives, including: between $2,000 and $5,000 for Academic Progress Rate performance, $10,000 for a Pac-12 championship game appearance, $15,000 for a Pac-12 championship game win, $15,000 for a non-New Year’s Six bowl appearance, $25,000 for a New Year’s Six bowl appearance, $40,000 for a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance, $60,000 for a CFP championship appearance and $70,000 for a CFP championship win.
As for Husky head coach Kalen DeBoer, he received a $1 million raise and a two-year extension (through 2028) in November. The second-year UW coach is set to make $4.2 million in 2023, with that number escalating by $100,000 each year and culminating with $4.7 million in 2028.
Still, DeBoer’s $3.1 million salary in 2022 ranked just 56th among public FBS programs, and 36 coaches made more than the $4.2 million he’s set to receive this year.
The 48-year-old coach’s comparably modest income theoretically provides critical flexibility for UW’s athletic department to redistribute funds into its assistant salary pool.
Which allows an overperforming staff to stick together.
“I’m really happy with the direction and the investment that [athletic director] Jen [Cohen] continues to make in our program, whether it be the coaches on the field or the critical staff we have off the field — when it comes to recruiting, strength and conditioning, all those other areas,” DeBoer said in late November.
Of course, given Washington’s returning players, the investment seems warranted. Standout quarterback Michael Penix Jr., wide receivers McMillan and Odunze, edges Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui, left tackle Troy Fautanu and defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa each decided to stay in Seattle rather than declare for the NFL draft.
After finishing with an 11-2 record and a No. 8 national ranking, the Huskies are chasing a Pac-12 title and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2023. And when it comes to assistant salaries, they’ve pushed their chips to the center.
Come September, we’ll see their cards.