Thursday, March 15, 2007

Contra Costa Times: Tedford can cash in with bonuses

By Jay Heater

BERKELEY — Minutes after leading his team through a spring practice session at Memorial Stadium, Cal football coach Jeff Tedford was asked if he was anxious about the fact the UC Regents were voting today on whether to approve his new contract.  "I had no idea they were even voting," Tedford said. "This is the first day I found out that they were going to do it (today). I am just here, doing my thing."  Tedford doesn't anticipate any problems, but notes that he has nothing to do with the process.  The increases in his base salary (from $167,500 per year to $225,000) and talent fee (from $1,332,500 to $1,575,000) aren't significant when compared to salaries paid to coaches of other top-25 programs.  Once again, he will receive incentive bonuses for finishing parts of his contract. However, unlike his previous contract, in which he was to be paid a $2 million bonus at the end of the entire contact, his new deal pays out bonuses over time.  On Jan.8, 2009, Tedford will receive a $1 million bonus if he completes the 2007 season and postseason as Cal's head coach.

If he remains coach through the end of the 2011 season, he gets another $1.5 million. If he finishes the current contact, which expires at the end of the 2013 season, he will receive another $1 million. Although other bonuses could raise his salary as high as $4,285,000 in 2011, it is unlikely. Cal would have to start churning out national championships next season.  When told that his new contract could pay him as much as $4,285,000 million, Tedford emphasized, "This is nothing new."

He explained that his new contract virtually is the same as the old one in terms of incentives.  While the base salary and talent fee increased and the bonus for completing seasons changed in structure, the other incentives were in his old contract.  Those incentives include:

-$50,000 for the season in which Cal plays in a BCS game and all subsequent years in the contract.

-$150,000 for a national championship (Associated Press or BCS).

-$25,000 for a non-BCS bowl game.

-$100,000 for being named national coach of the year.

-$50,000 for being named Pac-10 coach of the year.

-$25,000 for team grade-point average being 2.75 or higher.

Tedford also will receive bonus money tied to the building of the Simpson High Performance Center and the stadium renovation. If he is coach when the team moves into the Simpson Center, he receives $250,000. If he is coach when the team plays its first home game in renovated Memorial Stadium, he gets another $250,000.   If Tedford leaves the program before the Simpson Center is finished, he must pay Cal $150,000 for each remaining year on his contract. If he leaves after the center is complete, he must pay $300,000 for each remaining year on his contract.

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