Coaching contracts, road safety plans and broadband funding
8/2/2023With the college football season approaching, we take a look at coaching contract details behind some of the state’s highest-paid employees. For comparison, CITYVIEW also requested contract details of some of the lesser-known coaches at the state universities.
The University of Iowa
In the aftermath of a less than stellar offensive season from the University of Iowa’s football program, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz had two designated performance objectives added to his contract. First, the team must average 25 points per game, a number they’ve met just once in the past four seasons. Second, the team must win at least seven games, which includes a possible bowl game. Meeting these objectives will be lucrative for Ferentz. While his annual salary of $900,000 was dropped to $850,000, if he meets the objectives, he will receive a $112,500 bonus, and his annual pay will be increased to $925,000.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz’s recently signed extension hasn’t been amended yet. As such, his base salary of $500,000, with supplemental compensation of $5.5 million and a $1 million “longevity bonus,” remain the same. The contract goes to 2030, totaling $56 million over the eight years. Performance bonuses that he can obtain include, but are not limited to, a $375,000 bonus for finishing the season ranked in the top 10 and as high as $1.625 million if Iowa wins the national championship.
If Iowa earns a trip to one of college football’s “New York Six” bowl games while unranked, it could land Ferentz an additional $250,000. And, if that bowl game happened within the college football playoff, the bonus would jump to $375,000.
Iowa men’s golf coach Tyler Stith’s contract also includes performance incentives. His base salary begins at $100,000 but can go as high as $115,000 should the team make an NCAA team regional appearance. If the team becomes NCAA champions, Stith is looking at an annual incentive payment of $25,000.
The director of track and field/cross country, Joey Woody, put pen to paper on a new extension in October of 2022. The former world champion runner’s salary is $250,000. Woody’s salary can increase 6% (3% per team) if the men’s or women’s track and field team wins a Big Ten team title. An individual NCAA champion under Woody’s watch would see him receive a $7,500 bonus. He would be awarded up to $50,000 if Iowa wins a Team NCAA National Championship.
Iowa State University
Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell hasn’t had any updates to his most recent extension that was signed in 2021. His annual pay is $2.4 million, and he has the potential for a $1.5 million bonus should ISU win a national championship. If ISU finishes the season in second place or tied for first in the Big 12 and then wins the Big 12 championship game, Campbell will receive a $250,000 bonus. However, if the team goes into the Big 12 championship game in first place and wins, that bonus doubles to $500,000. Campbell has the option to reduce his performance incentives by up to $100,000 and allocate those funds to a bonus pool for his football staff in amounts determined by Campbell after consulting with Athletic Director Jamie Pollard.
Like the University of Iowa, Iowa State experienced a lackluster offensive season in 2022. This resulted in the promotion of running back and wide receiver coach Nathan Scheelhaase to offensive coordinator. Extending his contract through 2026, Scheelhaase’s base salary landed at $750,000. His salary can increase by $100,000 at the end of each year should he have “satisfactory performance and remain in active working status,” whatever that means. With his new title, Scheelhaase will be provided a “courtesy vehicle,” or he can receive an auto allowance of $5,000.
Despite multiple requests to the ISU public records office, CITYVIEW was unable to obtain the other contracts that were requested to compare to the football coaches.
University of Northern Iowa
Mark Farley, head football coach at the University of Northern Iowa, has contract details that remain the same as reported last year — a $400,000 salary and performance bonuses with a potential to reach $92,000. One section in the contract states that Farley will receive an annual golf club membership to a club determined by Farley and the athletic director.
For the past 13 years, the UNI men’s wrestling program has been coached by Doug Schwab. In 2021, Schwab had his contract extended through March of 2028, with a base salary of $174,000. Some performance-based bonuses in his contract include $25,000 for a first place team finish in the NCAA championship. Schwab is also eligible for $3,500 for being named Big XII coach of the year (which he accomplished in 2020) and $10,000 if named NWCA national coach of the year.
Head women’s basketball coach Tanya Warren also signed an extension in 2021, keeping her at the helm of the program until 2027. Warren’s salary is $174,456. The contract includes a health club membership alongside performance-based incentives such as $5,000 for NCAA championship tournament appearances and an additional $10,000 for each tournament victory. …
The Des Moines City Council approved the “Vision Zero Safety Action Plan” on June 26. The plan is meant to be a proactive approach to road safety with the end goal being to bring car crash-related deaths and severe injuries to zero.
City Engineer Steve Naber told CITYVIEW the City submitted an application for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program, requesting $17 million in federal funding assistance, with a total estimated cost of $27 million.
The areas listed in the City’s plan for safety improvements are Euclid Avenue Corridor from the Des Moines River to Second Avenue; Forest Avenue Corridor from Beaver Avenue to Ninth Street; Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway/19th Street Corridor from Cottage Grove Avenue to Mondamin Avenue; Douglas Avenue Corridor from Merle Hay Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway; and S.E. 14th Street Corridor from the Des Moines River to Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, which includes the intersection with Maury Street.
If the City is approved for the grant funds, the first construction on the projects would begin in 2025 and be finished by the end of 2029. …
As part of President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021, $42.45 billion will be spent across the nation to connect individuals to high-speed broadband Internet. Iowa, as a result, will receive $415.3 million in funding. According to worldpopulationreview.com, Iowa ranks fourth in average Internet speed (mbps). According to the Chief Information Officer’s website, as of July 14, there are currently $148,960,000 in funds available from the Empower Rural Broadband Program for broadband expansion in Iowa. ♦
