Could Furloughs or Pay Cuts Happen at Oklahoma State for Coaches and Admin?

Boise State was the most recent to announce solutions involving salaries for loss in revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic. Could some of those actions reach Stillwater?

STILLWATER -- First it was Iowa State and their athletic director Jamie Pollard was proactive and introduced pay cuts across the board of 10 percent as well as some other actions to overcome the loss of the NCAA and Big 12 Basketball Championships. Some group of five schools have cut sports with Old Dominion dumping wrestling and Cincinnati slicing men's soccer. Baylor last week announced the need to cut $60-75-million from the overall University budget, not just athletics but including them. 

Then yesterday it came out that Boise State, which is already facing $10-million in losses because of the partial shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is furloughing many of its employees, including coaches and athletics staff. 

So, could this hit Oklahoma State?

The answer is absolutely, and if you don't think options have already been discussed then you are not thinking clearly.

Now, Oklahoma State is in good shape in several respects. I read a story on The Athletic about coach's salaries and the insinuation between some sports media and academicians is that coach's salaries, particularly football and basketball are way too high. Their hope is this pandemic and the financial hardship created will bring those high salaries down to what they consider a more realistic amount. 

There is no doubt that those salaries being reduced could help. You are seeing coaches contributing. At Iowa State, the coaches took the 10 percent pay cut and also relinquished bonuses in their contracts. At Boise State, head football coach Bryan Harsin and his staff will be subject to the furloughs announced by the school president. Employees at the school that earn more than $40,000 per year were required to take furloughs between the start of May and the end of July. The furloughs and their length varied. Employees making $150,000 or more had to take a 10-day furlough.

Harsin has a contract that calls for him to make $1.65-million a year and he will lose approximately $63,000 with his furlough. Most of his assistant coaches will be subject to the same furlough.

Boise State president Marlene Tromp announced the furloughs in an email to staff on Monday night.

"I hope our swift action now can help us avoid what could be more grave action later and provide for the long-term well-being of both our community and the institution," Tromp wrote in the email that was obtained by the Idaho Statesman newspaper.

It is not a current action, but Wisconsin athletic director and former head football coach Barry Alvarez has already declared that Wisconsin will not welcome back spring sport student-athletes for another year that the NCAA quickly voted for them after all spring sports championships and seasons were canceled. 

Money is potentially tight, even for the wealthiest of athletic departments. If everyone knew football season were going to be played then many athletic directors and school presidents would sleep a little easier, but they don't. For all the media and academicians that are hoping coaching salaries take the hit. Don't bet on it. 

Athletic departments that recently fired and paid off coaching guarantees only to hire coaches at a greater salary are potentially in more trouble because of the baggage. A long time offender like Kansas or recent debacles like the one at Florida State with Willie Taggert being fired last November in his second season of a huge contract. Often boosters are asked to foot the bill on those changes, but usually the school is also taking on some of the cost in their budget. 

Oklahoma State hasn't done that recently, in fact, recent coaching departures like basketball head coach Brad Underwood and offensive coordinators Mike Yurich and Sean Gleeson have resulted in Oklahoma State getting checks from Illinois, Ohio State, and Rutgers.

However, Oklahoma State has had major building projects in the athletic department and while the funding and fund raising was taken care of in the Neal Patterson Soccer Stadium; the funding is reportedly still not complete on the new baseball facility O'Brate Stadium. It could increase the financial strain on Oklahoma State's athletic department during the pandemic.

While it is likely that Oklahoma State athletic department personnel, including coaches would help out and kick in during this unprecedented situation. Anyone believing that this pandemic could take football coaching salaries down one or more notches is probably living in a fantasy land. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had on college athletics has only gone further to emphasize the importance of playing football and having a solid, winning football program for modern college athletic departments. The only way to de-emphaisze football and fund it to a lesser extent is to do that to college athletics across the board.