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Utah State’s Official Contract with the PAC-12

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This past week has been a whirlwind for Utah State athletics. A week ago today, Utah State accepted an invitation to the latest iteration of the PAC-12. In doing so, the Aggies joined Oregon State, Washington State, and fellow Mountain West schools Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Colorado State as 2026 members of the PAC-12 conference.

Earlier today, the PAC-12 conference became much stronger, specifically on the basketball court, by adding the perennial national power house Gonzaga Bulldogs to the fold. This addition increases the number of basketball programs in the conference to eight, six of which received at-large bids to the Big Dance this past season. By all measures, the PAC-12 will be an elite basketball conference going into the 2026-27 season.

USUStats has obtained the official contract between Utah State and the PAC-12 Conference. Here are a few items of interest:

  • The PAC-12 will be implementing a revenue sharing policy that allows any member to keep 50% of any College Football Playoff (CFP) or NCAA Tournament credit payouts for both Men’s and Women’s basketball. The remaining 50% will be shared evenly among the remaining conference mates.
  • All CFP or NCAA Tournament expenses will be shared evenly among conference members.
  • Utah State would be required to pay $40M in liquidated damages to the PAC-12 if they renege on their commitment to join the conference for any reason before July 1, 2026. The only caveat is that this number would be reduced to $30M if Utah State joined an A4 conference (SEC, Big 12, Big 10, ACC) before that date.
  • Utah State will agree to signing a Grant of Rights for a media deal through June 30, 2031. Several penalties are outlined for failure to remain in the conference through the duration of the GOR.
  • Utah State would lose Board of Directors status upon notification of withdrawal from the conference.
  • Incoming members cannot vote as members of the PAC-12 conference until 2026 except for:
    • Voting on the upcoming media rights deal (3/4 consensus required)
    • Voting on the addition of members to the conference (2/3 consensus required)
    • Any matters that will affect the PAC-12 or college sports after June 30, 2026
  • Both Oregon State and Washington State must approve any votes about the PAC-12 Enterprises, as well as any other matters affecting the PAC-12 or other college sports after June 30, 2026, and it stipulates that those schools shall not unreasonably withhold their approval.

Multiple sections of the membership terms and conditions were redacted by Utah State before delivering the document, including two full sections and their section titles, and portions of the Grant of Rights, Revenue Sharing, and Enterprises sections. It is currently unknown what the redacted sections or portions are or relate to.

What do you think of the new contract with the PAC-12? What sections do you think were redacted? Do you feel like the 50/50 revenue sharing is a good idea? Who will be the next addition to the PAC-12 to help it reach the required 8 full-members by 2026? Comment below.

To review the full contract click the image below:

Coach Danny Sprinkle’s Contract with University of Washington

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Within the span of 13 months, Danny Sprinkle went from the coach of Montana State University, to the new coach at Utah State University, and now the head coach of the University of Washington Huskies. Danny did an incredible job at Utah State, leading a completely newly built team to the outright Mountain West Championship and the first Utah State NCAA Tournament victory in over 20 years. He was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year honors. Not surprisingly, Danny was one of the names mentioned for several head coach openings after the season ended, and he quickly became the front runner for the University of Washington job.

Danny has ties to the University of Washington. His father played football for the Huskies in the 1960’s and he grew up a Husky fan. It also didn’t hurt that the Huskies offered Danny a contract that was worth more than three times what he was making at Utah State. It is rumored that Utah State gave Danny a generous extension offer that would have made him the highest paid Utah State coach in history, but Utah State’s offer simply wasn’t able to compete with Washington’s.

USUStats has acquired Danny’s initial contract (Memorandum of Understanding) with the University of Washington that details his salary and potential bonuses. The contract is worth more than $22 Million over six years not including bonuses. It includes several incentive bonuses and states that the University of Washington will pay any buyout amount due to Utah State University as a result of Danny leaving his coaching job there. USUStats contributed fifteen cents to the cause by paying the required fee to acquire the initial contract document from Washington. See the details below:

Annual Guaranteed Salary

Year 1 – $3,200,000
Year 2 – $3,300,000
Year 3 – $3,600,000
Year 4 – $3,800,000
Year 5 – $4,000,000
Year 6 – $4,200,000

The base contract guarantees six years starting at $3.2 Million with $200,000 raises each year with the exception of year 2 which offers a $100,000 raise, followed by a $300,000 raise in year 3.

Bonuses:

APR >= 950 = $50,000
APR >= 960 = $75,000
APR >= 970 = $100,000
Conference Champion (or Co-Champion) = $100,000
Conference Tournament Champion = $100,000
Team qualifies for the NCAA Tournament = $100,000
Each win in the NCAA Tournament = $50,000
Conference Coach of the Year Award = $50,000
National Coach of the Year Award = $100,000

Buyout Details:

University of Washington will cover the cost of any payment owed to Utah State for terminating the coaching contract early.

If Coach Sprinkle leaves University of Washington for a coaching position at another college or pro team he will pay liquidated damages according to the following schedule:

  • During Contract Year One = $6 Million
  • During Contract Year Two = $5 Million
  • During Contract Year Three = $4 Million
  • During Contract Year Four = $3 Million
  • During Contract Year Five = $1 Million
  • During Contract Year Six = $0

Danny’s initial contract can be accessed or downloaded by clicking on the image below:

What do you think of Danny’s new contract? Will he succeed at Washington? Comment below.

Coach Jerrod Calhoun’s Contract with Utah State

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Utah State Basketball is coming off of one of the best years ever, going 28-7, winning its first outright Mountain West Conference Championship in arguably the strongest Mountain West Conference of all-time, and capping it off with an NCAA Tournament Victory for the first time in 23 years over the TCU Horned Frogs. While there was a lot to celebrate, shortly after the end of the season Aggie Nation was sent into a tailspin with the news that Danny Sprinkle had accepted a job with the University of Washington. Coach Sprinkle worked miracles at Utah State, returning no points, rebounds or assists from last season and put together a roster that worked together and simply won games.

Coach Jerrod Calhoun

The next chapter at Utah State will be led by Coach Jerrod Calhoun. Calhoun has been the head coach at Youngstown State for the past seven seasons, leading the Penguins from the cellar of the Horizon League to two consecutive 20+ win seasons the past two years with limited financial and fan support. Coach Calhoun was announced as head coach on March 30th, 2024, with his introductory press conference on April 2.

USUStats was able to obtain a copy of Jerrod Calhoun’s initial contract with Utah State. This is not the finalized contract, but a higher level agreement between Coach Calhoun and the University. It includes the main important aspects, but does not yet define details for bonuses that may be achieved through in-season accomplishments.

Here’s the breakdown of what is included in the contract:

Total Compensation (Including Base Pay and Media Compensation):

Year 1 – $925,000
Year 2 – $950,000
Year 3 – $975,000
Year 4 – $1,000,000
Year 5 – $1,025,000

The base contract is five years at $925K per year with a $25K raise each year.

Bonuses:

The bonuses are not specified, but the agreement states that the incentive payments will be “reasonably consistent with the terms of incentive payments for USU’s most recent head men’s basketball coach.” Coach Danny Sprinkle’s contract details can be found on this blog post from March, 2024.

Assistant Salary Pool:

$750,000 for Assistant Coaches
$150,000 for Director of Basketball Operations and Administrative Staff Positions

These numbers are far increased from anything we have seen in previous basketball contracts at Utah State. For comparison, Danny Sprinkle received $530,000 + $150,000 for assistant coaches and other staff positions.

Buyout Clause (in my own words):

If Utah State were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. USU fires Calhoun for low performance), they are required to pay 75% of the pro-rated amount of base pay still remaining on the contract.

For example, at the start of his employment, Coach Calhoun has a total of $4,875,000 in remaining total compensation on the 5-year agreement. If he were to be immediately fired, he would be owed 75% of that which would be $3,656,250. If he were to be fired after the completion of his second season he would be owed $2,250,000 ($3,000,000 * .75).

If Coach Calhoun were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. Calhoun leaves for another position elsewhere) before the completion of his first year at Utah State (on or before March 31, 2025), the buyout starts out at 80% of the remaining cumulative total compensation owed. If he were to leave on or after April 1, 2025, the buyout is reduced to 60% of the remaining total compensation on his contract. So if Calhoun were to leave after his second year at Utah State, he would be required to pay USU a buyout of $1,800,000 ($3,000,000 * .60).

Click the image below to download the full initial contract agreement.

Coach Craig Smith’s Contract with University of Utah

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It’s been three seasons since Craig Smith left Utah State University to be hired as the head coach for the University of Utah. Utah’s regular season came to an end last night with a loss to Colorado in the PAC 12 Tournament. Coach Smith just completed his third regular season at Utah with a 40-40 overall record and no postseason appearances yet to his name. USUStats has obtained Coach Craig Smith’s Official Contract with the University of Utah.

The contract is a six-year agreement beginning with the 2021-22 season and ending at the end of the 2026-27 season.

Base Pay (Including Media, Appearances, and Outfitter Compensation):

Year 1 (2021-22) – $1,800,000
Year 2 (2022-23) – $1,900,000
Year 3 (2023-24) – $2,000,000
Year 4 (2024-25) – $2,100,000
Year 5 (2025-26) – $2,200,000
Year 6 (2026-27) – $2,300,000

The base pay described above includes $300,000 in base salary, $550,000 in TV and Radio compensation (with $50,000 yearly increases), $550,000 in Appearance Fees (with $50,000 yearly increases), and $400,000 in an Under Armor Outfitter Agreement per year.

Deferred Retirement Payment:

The agreement includes $50K distributed to a 403b retirement account annually.

Retention Bonus:

As long as Coach Smith remains employed on Jan 15, 2025, he is entitled to a $150K retention bonus.

Incentive Bonuses:

Gross Ticket Revenues of $2,000,000 = $25,000
Gross Ticket Revenues of $2,250,000 = $35,000
Gross Ticket Revenues of $2,500,000 = $45,000
Gross Ticket Revenues of $3,000,000 = $75,000

Pac-12 Regular Season Champion or Co-Champion = $50,000
Pac-12 Top 4 Finish (determined by conference tournament seeding) = $35,000
Pac-12 Conference Winning Record = $20,000

Pac-12 Tournament Champion = $25,000
NCAA Tournament Berth = $25,000
NCAA Tournament First Four Win = $25,000
NCAA Tournament Per Win (other than first four win) = $50,000
Conference Coach of the Year = $25,000
National Coach of the Year (Naismith or NABC) = $50,000

National Ranking (one of the following)
Nationally Ranked Top 25 at any point after Jan 1 = $10,000
Finish Season Top 25 = $25,000
Finish Season Top 10 = $50,000

APR Bonus (one of the following)
APR of 950 = $25,000
APR of 970 = $30,000
APR of 990 = $50,000

Total Potential Bonus Payout = $675,000

Buyout Clause (in my own words):

If Utah were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. Utah fires Smith for low performance), they are required to pay 100% of the pro-rated amount of base pay (including media, appearances, and outfitter amounts listed above) still remaining on the contract.

For example, if Craig Smith were to be fired at the end of the 2023-24 season, he would be owed $6,600,000.

If Coach Smith were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. Smith leaves for another position elsewhere) the buyout owed to the University of Utah would be as follows:

  1. Contract Year 1: $11,000,000
  2. Contract Year 2: $8,500,000
  3. Contract Year 3: $6,000,000
  4. Contract Year 4: $2,500,000
  5. Contract Year 5: $1,000,000
  6. Contract Year 6: $0.0

The actual contract is vague on how this schedule works, but I am assuming that if Smith leaves the team during the contract Year listed above, he owes that current amount. So if he leaves after the 2023-24 season (on or after April 1, 2024) he would owe $2,500,000 as he would be in Contract Year 4 at that point.

Click the image below to download the full initial contract agreement.

Coach Danny Sprinkle’s Official Contract with Utah State

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Coach Danny Sprinkle has worked miracles at Utah State since being hired before the 2023-24 season. Not only is he a shoo-in for Mountain West Coach of the Year, but he is also in the running for National Coach of the year. Coach Sprinkle returned zero points, assist, and rebounds from last season’s team, built a brand new roster and amazingly won the Mountain West Conference outright. And this wasn’t any old Mountain West Conference this year. This was possibly the best Mountain West Conference ever with upwards of 6 teams headed for the NCAA Tournament.

While Danny and team were cutting down the nets last night in the Spectrum after a hard fought victory over the New Mexico Lobos, the fans couldn’t help but wonder how long he would remain at Utah State. Chants of “Danny Sprinkle… (clap clap clap-clap-clap)” rang through the Spectrum during the Senior Night ceremonies and the net cutting ceremony.

Back in May, USUStats was able to obtain Coach Sprinkle’s Initial Contract that was a high level agreement between Coach Sprinkle and Utah State, but not his official contract that includes all the details. Since then, USUStats has obtained Danny’s Official Contract.

Here’s the breakdown of what is included in the contract:

Base Pay (Including Media Compensation):

Year 1 – $900,000
Year 2 – $925,000
Year 3 – $950,000
Year 4 – $975,000
Year 5 – $1,000,000

The base contract is five years at $900K per year with a $25K raise each year.

Bonuses:

Team wins the National Championship = $100,000
Team qualifies as a Final Four Participant = $50,000
Team wins the Conference Tournament Championship = $25,000
Team wins the regular season Conference Championship (either outright
Champion or Co-Champion) = $15,000
Team maintains a single-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 950 = $10,000
Team granted an at-large NCAA Tournament Bid = $20,000
Team wins an NCAA Tournament Game (including a First Four Game, but excluding the National Championship Game) = $20,000
Note: each win at an NCAA Tournament will qualify Coach for a $20,000
incentive payment.
Team invited to the National Invitation Tournament = $10,000
Team wins the National Invitation Tournament Championship = $10,000
Team is ranked (Associated Press Poll) at the end of a season in the:
Top 10 = $50,000
Top 20 = $25,000
Top 25 = $10,000
Note: This category of supplemental compensation is mutually exclusive,
meaning that only one amount will be paid if the Team is ranked within the Top 25 (e.g. If the team was ranked as 14, then $25,000 would be awarded; NOT $25,000 for the Top 20 AND $10,000 for the Top 25.
Coach is selected as the “Conference Coach of the Year” by the Conference as voted by the Conference coaches = $10,000
Coach is selected as the national “Coach of the Year” by the Associated Press, the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith College Coach of the Year), or the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) = $25,000
Team wins a rival game against BYU or University of Utah = $5,000

Buyout Clause (in my own words):

If Utah State were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. USU fires Sprinkle for low performance), they are required to pay 75% of the pro-rated amount of base pay still remaining on the contract.

For example, at the start of his employment, Coach Sprinkle has a total of $4,750,000 in remaining salary on the 5-year agreement. If he were to be immediately fired, he would be owed 75% of that which would be $3,562,500. If he were to be fired after the completion of his second season he would be owed $2,193,750 ($2,925,000 * .75).

The same goes for the inverse. If Coach Sprinkle were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. Sprinkle leaves for another position elsewhere) the buyout would also be 75% of the remaining cumulative salary owed. However, there is an extra clause that favors Coach Sprinkle the longer he stays at Utah State. The buyout is reduced to only 50% of the remaining salary after the completion of the second year as coach (April 1, 2025), and for the remainder of his contract. So if Sprinkle were to leave after his first year at Utah State, he would be required to pay USU a buyout of $2,887,500 ($3,850,000*0.75).

Click the image below to download the full initial contract agreement.

Coach Danny Sprinkle’s Contract with Utah State

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For Utah State Basketball fans, this past year has been quite the whirlwind. Going into the season expectations were not high, and Utah State was picked to finish 8th in the Mountain West preseason poll. The Aggies picked up a couple of key transfers in Dan Akin and Taylor Funk and ended up exceeding all expectations. The Aggies NET rating was in the top 40 all season, ending the year at #23. Utah State finished the season with a 26-9 record and made it to the Mountain West Conference Championship, once again facing San Diego State. Fun fact: The Aggies and Aztecs have met in 4 of the last 5 Mountain West Tournament Championships. The Aggies fell just short to the Aztecs (who ended up as National Championship runner-ups), but still received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. It was the all-familiar story for Aggie fans in the Big Dance as the team fell short once again in the first round, suffering a 76-65 loss to Missouri.

Optimism was in the air, but was quickly deflated as rumors of Ryan Odom leaving town started swirling around Cache Valley. Odom was rumored to be the top target for the University of Southern Florida job, but ended up becoming the head coach for VCU. Despair was creeping in the weeks passed by with no head coach in Logan, and Aggie players entering the transfer portal left and right.

Enter Danny Sprinkle. Utah State’s interim athletics director Jerry Bovee was able to lure away the head coach of the Montana State Bobcats to be the new coach at Utah State. This was no easy task as Danny was a basketball star at Montana State during his playing years, and was essentially in his dream job. But the promise of a large increase in salary, with the privilege of playing in one of the top college basketball atmospheres in the country sealed the deal. During his introductory press conference Danny said: “As for the Spectrum, it is one of the best home-court atmospheres in the country, and I can’t wait to work with The HURD and get that place rocking.” Danny led Montana State to an 81-43 record while head coach, including two straight NCAA Tournament Appearances. He hopes to continue this level of success and consistent post-season appearances at Utah State.

Despite losing every meaningful contributor from the 2022-23 Utah State Basketball squad, Coach Sprinkle has infused optimism in the program, securing several key transfers to include:
Darius Brown II (Sr. from Montana State) – Defensive player of the year in the Big Sky
Great Osobor (Jr. from Montana State) – 6th man of the year in the Big Sky
Nigel Burris (Jr. from Idaho) – Freshmen of the year in the Big Sky
Josh Uduje (Jr. from Coastal Carolina) – Dynamic scorer who averaged 13.3 points per game last year
Jackson Grant (Jr. from Washington) – Former McDonald’s All American
Max Agbonkpolo (Sr. from Wyoming) – 4 star-recruit who played for USC and then Wyoming

USUStats was able to obtain a copy of Danny Sprinkle’s initial contract with Utah State. This is not the finalized contract, but a higher level agreement between Danny and the University. It includes the main important aspects, but does not yet define details for bonuses that may be achieved through in-season accomplishments.

Here’s the breakdown of what is included in the contract:

Base Pay (Including Media Compensation):

Year 1 – $900,000
Year 2 – $925,000
Year 3 – $950,000
Year 4 – $975,000
Year 5 – $1,000,000

The base contract is five years at $900K per year with a $25K raise each year.

Staff Salary Pool:

The agreement includes $530K to be used for three assistant coaches and $150K for operations and administrative positions and one full-time Grad Assistant. It states that the assistant salary pool will be reviewed annually between the Coach and University.

Bonuses:

The bonuses are not specified, but the agreement states that the incentive payments will be “reasonably consistent with the terms of incentive payments for USU’s most recent head men’s basketball coach.” Coach Ryan Odom’s contract details can be found on this blog post from March, 2022.

Buyout Clause (in my own words):

If Utah State were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. USU fires Sprinkle for low performance), they are required to pay 75% of the pro-rated amount of base pay still remaining on the contract.

For example, at the start of his employment, Coach Sprinkle has a total of $4,750,000 in remaining salary on the 5-year agreement. If he were to be immediately fired, he would be owed 75% of that which would be $3,562,500. If he were to be fired after the completion of his second season he would be owed $2,193,750 ($2,925,000 * .75).

The same goes for the inverse. If Coach Sprinkle were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. Sprinkle leaves for another position elsewhere) the buyout would also be 75% of the remaining cumulative salary owed. However, there is an extra clause that favors Coach Sprinkle the longer he stays at Utah State. The buyout is reduced to only 50% of the remaining salary after the completion of the second year as coach, and for the remainder of his contract.

Differences between the Sprinkle contract and previous contracts:

Coach Sprinkle’s contract is actually more similar to Coach Craig Smith’s contract than Coach Ryan Odom’s contract. Coach Smith had the built in raises, whereas coach Odom’s salary stayed stable at $800K per year for 5 years. However, Coach Sprinkle’s contract started out as the highest paying initial men’s coach contract ever at Utah State. Coach Smith started at $650,000 and Coach Odom started at $800,000 while Coach Sprinkle starts out at $900,000. The incentive bonuses will likely be similar between all three contracts.

Coach Sprinkle’s buyout clause seems to be a mix between what was offered to the last two coaches. Coach Smith had a 75% buyout clause for both parties, but that clause was quickly changed to be much more favorable to Coach Smith upon his contract extension. Coach Odom’s buyout started out at only 50% of the remaining salary and shifted to only 35% of the remaining salary after the completion of his second season. It appears that Utah State is interested in keeping Coach Sprinkle long term, or at least would like to be well compensated if coach decides to leave for another program.

Click the image below to download the full initial contract agreement.

USUStats will post the full employment agreement once it is signed and obtained. What are your thoughts on the new coach and the initial contract agreement?

Coach Kayla Ard’s Contract with Utah State

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It’s been a tumultuous ride for Utah State Women’s Basketball over the last few years, to say the least. After eight years with Jerry Finkbeiner at the helm, the last of which saw him turning the reigns over to his assistant coach (who also happened to be his son), Utah State decided it was time to move on. Their selection? An up-and-coming assistant coach from the University of Denver, Kayla Ard. Kayla hails from Louisiana, and the charming southern drawl is ever present when you hear her speak.

Kayla Ard

Kayla immediately brought a breath of fresh air and some much needed excitement to Utah State. She’s been great on social media, and has reached out repeatedly to Aggie students and fans alike. She’s even ponied up her own money as a prize to attend specific Women’s Basketball events. Kayla is widely accepted as a very likeable person, and the fans seemed to latch on to the excitement. The general consensus was that it was a good hire by recently departed Athletics Director John Hartwell.

Unfortunately, the new blood and excitement hasn’t led to great results on the court. In her first season at Utah State, Kayla posted a 4-20 record and a 10th place finish in the Mountain West Conference. Her second season saw some improvement to an 11-19 record and 9th place finish. However, for whatever reason, every athlete except two left the team after the 2021-22 season leaving Coach Ard scrambling to find new players to field a squad for the 2022-23 season.

The 2022-23 season has not gone well. The Aggies started off with a pair of convincing wins over Fort Lewis College (exhibition) and NAIA opponent College of Idaho. Unfortunately things went downhill from there with the Aggies losing their next five games by an average of 22 points per game. The Aggies are still searching for much needed pieces, and desperately need to find a way to gel together before conference season begins on December 29th.

A few questions have recently been posed online asking what Coach Ard’s contract terms look like. USUStats has obtained Coach Ard’s contract with Utah State, and here’s a breakdown below:

Base Pay:

Year 1 – $215,000
Year 2 – $215,000
Year 3 – $215,000
Year 4 – $215,000
Year 5 – $215,000

The base contract is five years at $215K per year plus several employee benefits and bonuses as outlined below.

Bonuses:

Team wins the National Championship = $100,000
Team qualifies as a Final Four Participant = $50,000
Team wins the Conference Tournament Championship = $15,000
Team wins the regular season Conference Championship (either outright
Champion or Co-Champion) = $15,000
Team maintains a multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 960 = $5,000
Team granted an at-large NCAA Tournament Bid = $10,000
Team wins an NCAA Tournament Game = $10,000
Note: each win at an NCAA Tournament will qualify Coach for a $10,000
incentive payment.
Team invited to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament = $5,000
Team wins the Women’s National Invitation Tournament Championship = $10,000
Team is ranked (Associated Press Poll) at the end of a season in the:
Top 10 = $50,000
Top 20 = $25,000
Top 25 = $10,000
Note: This category of supplemental compensation is mutually exclusive, meaning that only one amount will be paid if the Team is ranked within the Top 25 (e.g. If the team was ranked as 14, then $25,000 would be awarded; NOT $25,000 for the Top 20 AND $10,000 for the Top 25.
Coach is selected as the “Conference Coach of the Year” by the Conference as voted by the Conference coaches = $10,000
Coach is selected as the national “Coach of the Year” by the Associated Press, the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith College Coach of the Year), or the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) = $25,000
Team wins a rival game against BYU or University of Utah = $2,500

Buyout Clause (in my own words):

If Utah State were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. USU fires Ard for low performance), they are required to pay 75% of the pro-rated amount of base pay still remaining on the contract.

For example, as of March 31, 2023 Coach Ard will have $430K remaining on her contract for years 4-5. If Utah State were to fire her, they would owe 75% of that remaining salary, or $322,500.

The same goes for the inverse. If Coach Ard were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. Ard leaves for another position elsewhere) the buyout would also be 75% of the remaining cumulative salary owed.

Click the image below to download the official contract discussed in this article.

What are your thoughts on Coach Ard thus far in her career? What do you think of the contract? Let us know in the comments section below!

Utah State Basketball 2022-23 Pictorial Roster

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Shane Rector
Jalen Moore
Julion Pearre
Koby McEwen

The 2022-23 College Basketball Season has finally arrived! There are several familiar faces on this year’s Aggie basketball squad as well as some important newcomers that will contribute this year. Check out our annual “Pictorial Roster” to get a consolidated view of the players on this team. Even print a copy for tonight’s game if you’re old school like that! Check it out by clicking below, and feel free to post questions, comments, or predictions on any of the players you see on the roster.

2022-23 Utah State Basketball Pictorial Roster

Also feel free to reminisce and check out the rosters from past seasons by changing the season in the drop down box at the top of the page (once you click the link above).

Coach Blake Anderson’s Contract Extension Details

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Utah State football fans have been on quite the roller coaster ride this football season. From an early season win over UConn to a devastating loss to in-state FCS foe Weber State to a great win over a good Air Force team at home, the ups and downs have been the only thing consistent with this year’s program. Perhaps this bye week will provide fans with a chance to take a breath before the rest of the ride commences.

Head Coach Blake Anderson is in his second season with Utah State after having coached the team to an incredible turnaround and a season for the ages in 2021. In 2020, Utah State football was as down-trodden as any team could be finishing the season with a single win, while deciding to forfeit their final game at Colorado State. In 2021, Coach Anderson helped turn that around completely, leading Utah State a 11-3 record, its first ever Mountain West Championship, and two wins over Power-5 foes including a season ending Jimmy Kimmel Bowl Championship over Oregon State. This drastic turnaround resulted in Coach Anderson receiving a bump in pay and extension to his contract.

Coach Blake Anderson
Coach Blake Anderson

USUStats.com has obtained the finalized details of Blake Anderson’s modified contract. The full contract can be downloaded in PDF format at the bottom of this post. Here are the main takeaways from this contract amendment:

  • Contract terms were extended by two years, through the 2027 season.
  • Base Annual Salary was increased by $300,000 in Year 2 (2022 season).
  • Yearly Base Annual Salary Increases went from a $25K increase to a $50K increase starting in Year 3
  • Total Salary Including Media Compensation is now as follows:
    • Year 1 (2021) – $1,057,692
    • Year 2 (2022) – $1,325,000
    • Year 3 (2023) – $1,375,000
    • Year 4 (2024) – $1,425,000
    • Year 5 (2025) – $1,475,000
    • Year 6 (2026) – $1,525,000
    • Year 7 (2027) – $1,575,000
  • Reduced the buyout amount if the coach were to terminate the contract from 75% of the “Cumulative Remaining Salary” to much lower set amounts that decrease each year as follows:
    • $2,000,000 before Dec 31, 2022
    • $1,700,000 before Dec 31, 2023
    • $1,200,000 before Dec 31, 2024
    • $800,000 before Dec 31, 2025
    • $500,000 before Dec 31, 2026
    • $0 before Dec 31, 2027
  • Utah State is still on the hook to pay 75% of the “Cumulative Remaining Salary” if they terminate the coach for convenience.
  • No apparent increases in the $2,500,000 salary pool for assistant coaches.

Overall, the contract is much more favorable to Coach Anderson, and the buyout structure is much less favorable to Utah State. This is no surprise based on recent contract amendments to other coaches who have shown to be successful at Utah State. What are your thoughts on the contract extension? Let us know below.

Click the image below to download the official contract amendment discussed in this article.

Coach Ryan Odom’s Contract with Utah State

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With Utah State’s season coming to a close with a heartbreaking loss to Colorado State in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas, the Aggies are hoping for some type of postseason tournament invite. With a NET rating of 61, they won’t be getting in to the NCAA tournament this year, but they do have a decent shot at the NIT or at worst, one of the lesser tournaments (CBI or CIT).

Utah State Coach Ryan Odom

After losing coach Craig Smith to the University of Utah in the off-season, Utah State hired Ryan Odom from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Coach Odom’s claim to fame was leading his UMBC Retrievers to a 20 point victory over Virginia in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The Retrievers were the first 16-seed to ever beat a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Ryan Odom is the son of Dave Odom who coached East Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest, and South Carolina.

USUStats has obtained Coach Odom’s contract with Utah State. Here are some interesting takeaways from the agreement:

Base Pay (including $300,000 for media appearances per year):

Year 1 – $791,796 (pro-rated amount for 360 days out of 365)
Year 2 – $800,000
Year 3 – $800,000
Year 4 – $800,000
Year 5 – $800,000

The base contract is $500K per year plus $300K for media appearances. Interestingly there are no built in raises each year.

Bonuses:

Team wins the National Championship = $100,000
Team qualifies as a Final Four Participant = $50,000
Team wins the Conference Tournament Championship = $25,000
Team wins the regular season Conference Championship (either outright
Champion or Co-Champion) = $15,000
Team maintains a multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 952 = $10,000
Team granted an at-large NCAA Tournament Bid = $20,000
Team wins an NCAA Tournament Game (including a First Four Game, but excluding the National Championship Game) = $20,000
Note: each win at an NCAA Tournament will qualify Coach for a $20,000
incentive payment.
Team invited to the National Invitation Tournament = $10,000
Team wins the National Invitation Tournament Championship = $10,000
Team is ranked (Associated Press Poll) at the end of a season in the:
Top 10 = $50,000
Top 20 = $25,000
Top 25 = $10,000
Note: This category of supplemental compensation is mutually exclusive,
meaning that only one amount will be paid if the Team is ranked within the Top 25 (e.g. If the team was ranked as 14, then $25,000 would be awarded; NOT $25,000 for the Top 20 AND $10,000 for the Top 25.
Coach is selected as the “Conference Coach of the Year” by the Conference as voted by the Conference coaches = $10,000
Coach is selected as the national “Coach of the Year” by the Associated Press, the Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith College Coach of the Year), or the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) = $25,000
Team wins a rival game against BYU or University of Utah = $5,000

Buyout Clause (in my own words):

If Utah State were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. USU fires Odom for low performance), they are required to pay 75% of the pro-rated amount of base pay still remaining on the contract.

For example, as of March 31, 2022 Coach Odom will have $3.2M remaining on his contract for years 2-5. If Utah State were to fire him, they would owe 75% of that remaining salary, or $2.4M.

If Coach Odom were to terminate the agreement for convenience (i.e. Odom leaves for another position elsewhere), it gets a bit more complicated. If he were to leave any time during years 1 or 2 (before April 1, 2023), the buyout would be 50% of the remaining cumulative salary owed. If he were to leave during year 3 or thereafter (April 1, 2023 or after), the buyout would be 35% of the remaining cumulative salary owed.

For example, if coach accepted another position on March 31, 2022, the buyout would be 50% of the remaining $3.2M on his contract for years 2-5, or $1.6M. If he were to leave on April 1, 2023 the buyout would be 35% of the remaining $2.4M on his contract, or $840K.

Differences between the Smith and Odom contracts:

A few things were different between Craig Smith’s original contract and Coach Odom’s contract. Coach Smith had a lower per-year base salary, but had built in raises each year. Coach Odom’s contract has a base salary of $800,000 per year with no raises built in. Coach Smith’s original buyout clause was 75% of the remaining contract for both Utah State and the coach if either were to terminate for convenience. Coach Odom’s buyout clause is more favorable to the coach with a smaller buyout amount that reduces even further after the first two seasons. The final two differences that I noticed were slight modifications to bonus amounts. The amount for winning a regular season championship was reduced from $25K to $15K. The amount for winning a First Four NCAA Tournament game was increased from $10K to $20K.

Final Thoughts:

With the first regular season under his belt, Coach Odom showed that he can pull off some big victories (beat Oklahoma to win the Myrtle Beach Invitational early in the year), and could compete with everyone. However, he couldn’t push the team over the hump in several key games this year that were lost by one or two possessions. A few made baskets here or there throughout the season and the Aggies would be a lock for an at-large bid. But as it stands, we are on the outside looking in hoping for a second-rate invitation for any kind of postseason tournament. Odom will likely lose some key pieces this year (Horvath, and likely Bean, Miller, and Eytle Rock), and will need to bring in some key pieces to compete for a championship in the Mountain West. What were your thoughts on Coach Odom’s first year as an Aggie coach? Let us know in the comments below.

Click the image below to download the official contract discussed in this article.