Shula, Gottfried made nearly $1.5M last year

TUSCALOOSA | Mark Gottfried and Mike Shula were paid a combined total of almost $1.5 million by the University of Alabama athletic department in the 2010-11 fiscal year, according to information obtained through open-records requests by The Tuscaloosa News, making Gottfried and Shula two of the top five earners in UA athletics despite the fact that neither is still employed by the school.

Gottfried, who resigned as men's basketball coach in January, 2009, pulled down $900,000 in liquidated damages in the fiscal year that ended on June 30. Shula, who was fired from his position as Alabama's head football coach after the completion of the 2006 regular season, was paid $574,193.52. Liquidated damages are paid by contract to coaches who are terminated without cause before fulfilling the term of their contracts.

Gottfried, who was introduced as North Carolina State's new coach in April, continued to be paid on his buyout through June 30 and is no longer on the UA payroll. Shula, however, will continue to be paid his contracted buyout through Jan. 31, 2012. The amount of Shula's payments are mitigated by his salary as a National Football League assistant coach. Shula served as quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars for four seasons after leaving UA and was hired in January to fill the same position with the Carolina Panthers.

Nick Saban was by far the highest-paid employee in the UA athletic department, budgeted for $4.1 million in compensation - almost 17 percent of the budgeted payroll of more than $24.5 million for nearly 250 employees in the department.

Saban's salary for 2010 was actually higher than that indicated in the budgeted numbers released by UA due to a restructuring of his contract signed last April. Saban's salary package increased to approximately $4.63 million.

Anthony Grant, head men's basketball coach, was second-highest on the UA athletic department payroll at more than $1.8 million. Football defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, at $750,000, was the highest-paid assistant coach at UA. Athletics Director Mal Moore, at four cents over $425,000, was paid the same as offensive line coach Joe Pendry, who is now retired.

In all, 48 athletic-department employees earned more than $100,000 in compensation in the 2010-11 fiscal year.

Compensation for many UA head coaches includes both salary and what their contracts call a "talent fee." Grant and UA gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson also have expense accounts of $12,000 included in their compensation. Many coaches and employees can also earn bonuses based on athletic and academic performance of teams. Those bonuses are not reflected in the compensation figures.

Athletically related income from sources outside UA - including income from camps, clinics and speaking appearances - is reported to the NCAA on an annual basis. For the 2010 calendar year, Saban was the top outside-income earner, making nearly $150,000. Grant earned almost $39,000 from outside sources, and head softball coach Patrick Murphy topped $29,000 in outside income.

Reach Tommy Deas at tommy.deas@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0224.