By Ryan Bologna
Whether it is college or the NFL, hiring the right football coach is one of the most difficult tasks in sports. I have seen it first-hand as a fan of the New York Giants and the UConn Huskies. A lot of desperate owners and athletic directors hand out bad contracts to whoever is perceived as a hot candidate at the time. Those usually get most of the attention, but we’re going to give some of the most underpaid coaches some much-deserved love too. Let’s dive into the numbers to find out who might be getting too much and who should be asking for a big raise when their contract is up.
Most Overpaid College Coach: David Shaw, Stanford
Salary: $8.9 million
2021 record: 3-9
Stanford Career Win Percentage: 67.4%
Price Per Win: $2.9 million
An In depth look at David Shaw's Head Coaching Record
2011-2014 (first four seasons): 42-12
2015-2018: 40-14
2019-2021: 11-19Overall: 93-45 in 138 games
Thoughts?
— Sidelines – Stanford🌲 (@SSN_Stanford) June 1, 2022
If you are a football fan but don’t follow Stanford too closely, this might be a surprise to you. Up until the last couple of years, David Shaw’s program was one of the most consistent college football programs in the country. Shaw is a mainstay on the NFL Network’s coverage of the draft. But after a couple of down years, most recently with a 3-9 record in 2021, Shaw’s salary has not been worth it at all. Stanford was essentially paid just under $3 million per win in 2021.
Most Overpaid NFL Coach: Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers
Salary: $8.5 million
2021 record: 5-12
Panthers Career Win Percentage: 30.3%
Price Per Win: $1.7 million
Matt Rhule was asked why the team felt compelled to sign Sam Darnold’s fifth-year option as quickly as they did.
Here’s his response: pic.twitter.com/yg0S7iciP8
— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) January 10, 2022
Matt Rhule was a hot coaching candidate in the 2020 hiring cycle for the NFL. The standard contract for an NFL coach is five years. Rhule had a lot of leverage, as the New York Giants were hot on his trail as well. Before leaving his interview with the Panthers to visit with the Giants, Rhule received a seven-year offer that was too good to pass up. While Rhule has not had a good quarterback play during his tenure with Carolina, he approved of trading for Sam Darnold. It will take a significant turnaround for this contract to work out.
Most Underpaid College Coach: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Salary: $4.3 million
2021 Record: 12-2
Oklahoma State Career Win Percentage: 68.3
Price Per Win: $358,333
Mike Gundy has a message about Twitter criticism: pic.twitter.com/kOBzr9xaWM
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 28, 2018
Mike Gundy has been at Oklahoma State for 17 years and he is still worth his contract. His only under .500 season was his first one in 2005. The Cowboys even challenged for a bid in the college football playoff in 2021 before losing to Baylor in the Big 12 championship game. That is about as good as you can get given they are not seen as the top program in the conference. Gundy has created a program that performs, and that is because he stands up for his players — his infamous “I’m a man, I’m 40!” rant exemplifies that. Gundy will be worth his contract as long as he is at Oklahoma State.
Most Underpaid NFL Coach: Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
Salary: $3 million
2021 Record: 12-5
Titans Career Win Percentage: 63.1
Price Per Win: $250,000
Mike Vrabel: The ultimate player's coach 👏
(via @thecheckdown) pic.twitter.com/Jye7mtZSOQ
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 19, 2020
While Mike Vrabel and the Titans did agree to an extension that likely gave him a raise, he has easily been the most underpaid coach in the NFL. What makes it more impressive is that Vrabel has not had elite quarterback play. Ryan Tannehill is not bad, but he’s not great by any means. Derrick Henry definitely does help, but the running back position has been devalued. Despite that, Vrabel makes it work. There might not be a Super Bowl to show for it, but Vrabel has proven himself as one of the better coaches in the NFL.
Photo Credit: KT King
