Malzahn and staff to earn approximately $5.7 million in 2013, drop of $1.6 million from 2012

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn and his staff will earn approximately $5.7 million in 2013.
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/AP

AUBURN — The Auburn football coaching staff under head coach Gus Malzahn is set to earn approximately $5.7 million in its first year, according to salary information obtained through the Open Alabama Financial Reports. Though Auburn has yet to release any of its coaches’ contracts, payroll records indicate Malzahn and his nine assistants will earn more than $5.7 million, or roughly $1.6 million less than the 2012 coaching staff under Gene Chizik, which totaled $7,343,200 according to USA Today’s annual college football coaching salaries database.

Based on the approximate figures, Malzahn and his staff would have ranked No. 14 nationally last year in total pay. Malzahn is set to earn $2,300,000 this year, substantially less than Chizik, who earned $3,557,500 last year.

Chizik was fired on Nov. 25 following a 3-9 season, the worst in 60 years for the program, and the school owes him a buyout of approximately $7.5 million minus any compensation he earns, such as his appearance as an analyst on ESPNU’s coverage of National Signing Day, through Dec. 2015. Eight of Chizik’s nine assistants have found new positions and will be owed less than their full buyout amounts from Auburn, with only former wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor still unemployed.

Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ellis Johnson will earn $800,000 while offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Rhett Lashlee will make $350,000. The salaries of the other seven members of the staff, Rodney Garner, Charlie Harbison, Dameyune Craig, J.B. Grimes, Melvin Smith, Tim Horton and Scott Fountain have not been released and an Auburn spokesman was unable to confirm the salaries as of Tuesday night.

Based on Open Alabama Financial Reports records, Fountain, who was promoted to tight ends and special teams coach after serving as director of player personnel under Chizik, is still earning the same salary, $210,000. Fountain was promoted following the departure of Rich Bisaccia, who spent last than three weeks in his position as running backs and special teams coach before leaving to become special teams coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys. Bisaccia made $38,044 during his short tenure on the Plains and owed no money when he left for Dallas.