First the beard, now the Illinois head football coach is seeing his pay cut.
Tuesday, the Illini announced that a handful of its highest-paid employees at the university will take a 10-percent cut in pay. Included in that is Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith, of course.
The salary slashing will last for six months. It will cost Smith $200,000 according to the school. Last year, the coach pulled in $4 million according to the USA Today coaches salary database.
“Out of our personal commitment to demonstrating that shared responsibility, I, along with all five of our vice chancellors, have volunteered to take a 10-percent pay reduction for the next six months,” Illinois chancellor Robert Jones said in a statement. “This savings will be directed specifically to our Illinois Cares: COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund to assist students in need. And I am very proud to announce that Director of Athletics Josh Whitman, Coach Lovie Smith and Coach Brad Underwood have stepped forward and volunteered to take the same reduction.”
Below is a partial list of FBS programs that have initiated various cost-cutting measures for athletic department personnel, including coaches:
- Arizona (HERE).
- Boise State (HERE).
- Colorado (HERE).
- Iowa State (HERE).
- Kansas (HERE).
- Kansas State (HERE)
- Louisville (HERE).
- Michigan (HERE).
- Minnesota (HERE).
- Missouri (HERE).
- Northern Illinois (HERE).
- Oregon (HERE and HERE).
- Rutgers (HERE).
- South Carolina (HERE).
- Syracuse (HERE).
- USC (HERE).
- UTSA (HERE).
- Wake Forest (HERE).
- Washington State (HERE).
- Western Kentucky (HERE).
- Western Michigan (HERE).
- West Virginia (HERE).
- Wyoming (HERE).
Additionally, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, who reportedly made north of $5 million a year ago, is taking a 20% pay cut. Scott’s Big 12 counterpart, Bob Bowlsby, announced pay cuts for himself and the conference’s staff.