Mizzou head coach salaries near the bottom in the SEC

While MU celebrated a raise for head football coach Barry Odom, the school still lags behind its Southeastern Conference competitors on coach pay.

An ABC 17 News analysis of federal data shows that Mizzou ranks second-to-last in the SEC in average head coach pay for both men’s and women’s sports. Numbers from the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act show that head coaches for men’s sports make an average of $951,706, while coaches for women’s sports made an average of $211,633.

Odom became Mizzou’s highest-paid coach on Wednesday when the UM Board of Curators approved an extension and raise. Odom will make $3.05 million a year, between his base salary and employment benefits. Odom surpassed men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin, who will make $2.8 million this year, according to his memorandum of understanding.

Mizzou is ahead of only the University South Carolina, whose men’s sport coaches make an average of $359,000 a year.

The University of Alabama tops the list of SEC schools, with coaches pulling down $2.2 million annually.

Nick Joos, spokesman for MU Athletics, said the university does well for itself given its resources. Many SEC schools receive support from state funds or student fees, while MU Athletics sustains itself on money it makes through its activities.

“You can be well paid for your sport on a national basis, but rank on the lower third of the SEC because of the revenues that schools are bringing in,” Joos said. “When [you] have good people, you invest in them, and that is what Mizzou did today with Coach Odom, last month with Robin Pingeton, and with Cuonzo’s deal two years ago.”

Average head coach salary, men’s sports

Alabama – $2,235,296 Texas A&M – $1,629,627 Kentucky – $1,529,571 Ole Miss – $1,467,974 Mississippi St. – $1,465,354 Arkansas – $1,358,965 Auburn – $1,348,294 Vanderbilt – $1,347,098 LSU – $1,164,700 Florida – $1,163,592 Tennessee – $1,094,030 Georgia – $1,061,614 Missouri – $951,706 South Carolina – $359,846

Average head coach salary, women’s sports

Texas A&M – $338,914 Mississippi St. – $314,133 Vanderbilt – $308,097 Kentucky – $295,280 LSU – $290,369 Florida – $279,798 Auburn – $267,672 South Carolina – $241,902 Ole Miss – $236,171 Arkansas – $219,326 Tennessee – $216,346 Georgia – $215,485 Missouri – $211,633 Alabama – $200,375