Published: November 27, 2007 11:45 pm            

KITCHELL: Hoosiers score a bargain in Lynch

IU fans hope their under-paid coach can reach a consistent level of mediocrity

One would like to think that Indiana University athletic director Rick Greenspan’s contract extension for interim football coach Bill Lynch was made for all the right reasons.

Certainly Lynch deserves his shot. Likable, straight-forward and perhaps most of all a coach the players seem to like and respect, Lynch turned in an admirable performance this past season.

His Hoosiers produced their first winning season (7-5) since 1994 and will earn their first bowl invitation since 1993.

And oh yeah, they beat Purdue.

All that came following the death of coach Terry Hoeppner last summer — a terribly sad event that rocked the program.

For the most part, the Hoosiers beat teams they should have, slipping in a couple of mild upsets along the way and with the exception of Northwestern, lost to the usual Big Ten bullies.

And did I mention, they beat Purdue?

Bottom line, Lynch is a good choice. Like Hoeppner, he’s an Indiana guy — born in Indianapolis and educated at Butler. Virtually his entire life has been spent in our state and he should have excellent rapport with Indiana high school coaches, something crucial when it comes to recruiting. And like Hoeppner, this is his dream job. Indiana has never been a stepping stone to a better job (OK, maybe Lee Corso) and most certainly won’t be for Lynch. At age 53, this job is his destination point.

Of course there will be some who question why Greenspan didn’t seek a big-name coach, who would of course take the Hoosiers to that dreamy area fans call “the next level.”

Let’s be honest here. Given the opportunity, Greenspan may have preferred that. But the question is, what big name coach would want the job?

Start anywhere you want with the long list of challenges an IU football coach encounters. Facilities are improving, but average at best. There’s neither a football tradition nor a strong fan base because they simply haven’t won. Eleven straight and 17 of the last 18 coaches have left IU with losing records and the Hoosiers are firmly in control of last place in all-time won-lost percentage in the Big Ten. And then there’s basketball, which starts stealing fans’ interest around the second week of September.

Toss in the problems of trying to recruit while surrounded by much more tradition-rich and/or emerging programs (Notre Dame, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Louisville and Illinois) and you can see why Greenspan never got the “name-coach” phone call.

Oh, did we mention money?

Indiana may have it, but it certainly isn’t going into football salaries.

Lynch inked a contract that calls for him to earn approximately $650,000 each of the next four seasons. That includes a base salary of $250,000 and supplemental funds of another $350,000 for a variety of duties that include radio and television shows and speaking engagements — perhaps parking cars at basketball games.

Now, I don’t mean to say $650,000 isn’t a nice salary. I would take the job for half that amount. But when we consider what teachers, social workers, fire fighters and policemen are paid, it is a lot of money.

In the world of college football, however, it’s peanuts.

Lynch will be the lowest paid coach in the Big Ten and his salary would be chump change to many in his profession, including Mike Sherman who was hired Monday at Texas A&M for $1.8 million annually for seven years.

An article in USA TODAY noted that the average base salary for top-level coaches in 2006 was $950,000. Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops is thought to be the nation’s highest paid coach at just over $3 million per year and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (who incidentally has lost two straight games to Indiana) is very close to the $3 million guaranteed payout — plus incentives and extras. Ohio State’s Jim Tressel is over the $2 million mark as is Mack Brown at Texas.

Indiana is and always will be a basketball school, as Kelvin Sampson’s $1.5 million annual salary might indicate. But can Indiana win a Big Ten football championship — ever? I dunno, maybe not.

But what Hoosier fans can hope for is that for a bargain price, Lynch can run a clean, respectable program that can consistently be around .500, get to occasional bowl games, and when the stars are aligned just right, move into that upper tier.

And oh yeah — beat Purdue once in a while.

Dave Kitchell is the Kokomo Tribune’s sports editor. He may be reached by e-mail at dave.kitchell@kokomotribune.com.

        

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