Very frustrated by coaches Leaving because of pay!

[spring creek cat]

I love cheering for the cats and love the direction our sports programs are heading, but how can we keep it up if we keep losing coaches like sprinkle. Then losing the talent he is bringing it’s very frustrating! I absolutely don’t hold this against sprinkle, I would have moved also! That is a massive pay raise and somewhat of a step up. We all want MSU to compete for titles and become a mid major powerhouse, but I don’t see that happening if we can’t keep our coaches. How can MSU position its self to competitive in coaches salaries so we can keep coaches. Just frustrated today!!!

[Cataholic]

You should probably by change the thread title to “very frustrated with coaches pay at MSU”. This is not on the coaches.

[MSU01]

I love cheering for the cats and love the direction our sports programs are heading, but how can we keep it up if we keep losing coaches like sprinkle. Then losing the talent he is bringing it’s very frustrating! I absolutely don’t hold this against sprinkle, I would have moved also! That is a massive pay raise and somewhat of a step up. We all want MSU to compete for titles and become a mid major powerhouse, but I don’t see that happening if we can’t keep our coaches. How can MSU position its self to competitive in coaches salaries so we can keep coaches. Just frustrated today!!!

Step 1 would be to get out of the Big Sky and into a better conference. The salaries MSU pays its coaches are very much comparable and in some cases substantially higher than what other Big Sky schools are paying, especially for WBB. The overall growth of MSU as a basketball program will always be limited if they remain in a one-bid conference where one bad conference tournament game can turn a great season into a disappointing one with zero chance for an at-large NCAA tournament bid.

[catatac]

You should probably by change the thread title to “very frustrated with coaches pay at MSU”. This is not on the coaches.

And could add, very frustrated with the cost of living in Bozeman. Really sad what has happened there. I don’t have any answers, but it’s the sad reality. It was already getting bad, and the nation’s reaction to Covid 19 put it over the top.

[CelticCat]

Wrote about this on the R&R site, but in short - don't get mad, because there's nothing we can really do about it. Just enjoy it while it lasts and hope that another coach keeps the momentum going.

This is uncharted territory for us - having a coach hired away for a bigger job. For decades it was either retirements, resignings, or firings. If we have a coach come in and move up to a P10 school after 4 years then it means MSU was good for that whole time. It's frustrating but the other alternative is we keep a guy for 7 years and then fire him.

But this one is particularly frustrating though because if there was ever going to be a chance at having a coach who sticks around and really builds it up, it was Sprinkle. A local Montanan, a MSU player alum. Those are the only chances schools like ours ever have and he didn't even stick around to see freshman he recruited graduate from MSU.

[Joe Bobcat]

Yeah moving up to a larger conference with higher coach pay and more tournament bids has it's plusses. Mid major programs lose their coaches too and with that have multiple players hit the portal in addition to the yearly portal jumping that every program has to deal with. One need look no further than USU at this very moment to see that. This isn't directed at anyone in particular.

[MSU01]

Here's a pretty crazy stat regarding coaching salaries at MSU and Utah State.

Sprinkle and Binford both had base salaries of $186K when they signed their new contracts last year.

At Utah State, Sprinkle is earning $900K base salary while the USU women's coach earns $215K.

So not really a surprise that Binford has stuck around while Sprinkle left.

[tetoncat]

I am not sure the bases are comparable. It is still a huge increase but didn't Sprinkle have that base plus media and money game income. Then incentives on top of that. I am sure he has incentives in new one but thought I read the media and other stuff he got here on top of the 185 was in the 900.

[MSU01]

I am not sure the bases are comparable. It is still a huge increase but didn't Sprinkle have that base plus media and money game income. Then incentives on top of that. I am sure he has incentives in new one but thought I read the media and other stuff he got here on top of the 185 was in the 900.

I believe it was around 300K when the bonuses were factored in. Still a 3x increase without factoring in any USU bonuses.

[mslacatfan]

You should probably by change the thread title to “very frustrated with coaches pay at MSU”. This is not on the coaches.

Yup. Take that a step further and call the thread-

“Very frustrated with the board of regents”

It’s not costellos fault either, he has his hands tied.

[John K]

Yeah moving up to a larger conference with higher coach pay and more tournament bids has it's plusses. Mid major programs lose their coaches too and with that have multiple players hit the portal in addition to the yearly portal jumping that every program has to deal with. One need look no further than USU at this very moment to see that. This isn't directed at anyone in particular.

This sort of thing is always gonna be an issue, not just for low-major conferences and programs such as MSU and the BSC. Coaches leave schools like MSU for schools like Utah State, they leave schools like USU for lower tier Power 5 schools or upper tier programs in mid-major conferences, they leave programs at that level for mid-level P5 schools, and they leave schools at that level for one of the truly elite programs. Unless you're one of those elite programs, like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, or a handful of others, every program is always gonna be susceptible to losing their coach to a school that's higher up the food chain. No matter how much the school might pay them, there will always be a school that can pay them more and offer more prestige. It's just the way of the world in college athletics. Look at how many coaches have left UM for greener pastures over the years, and they've always managed to keep their program at or near the top of the BSC.

[TIrwin24]

Those are the only chances schools like ours ever have and he didn't even stick around to see freshman he recruited graduate from MSU.

This is the thing that drives me crazy. At least go through your full recruiting class before you decide to move jobs.

[DwaineF]

Is there a way to get a home building company to give the university a house to let the coaches live in as a sponsorship deal? That would help keep coaches here longer, wouldn't it? We definitely need to find a creative way to sweeten the pot in order to keep coaches a bit longer. Of course, that wouldn't guarantee that we could then become the next Gonzaga, it may, however, help us keep our coaches longer.

[TIrwin24]

Of course, that wouldn't guarantee that we could then become the next Gonzaga, it may, however, help us keep our coaches longer.

Fun fact; I looked up Mark Few's pay and he makes a cool 1.8 million per year.

[MSU01]

Those are the only chances schools like ours ever have and he didn't even stick around to see freshman he recruited graduate from MSU.

This is the thing that drives me crazy. At least go through your full recruiting class before you decide to move jobs.

To be fair, he did do this as the only player from his initial 2019-20 team that was still on the roster this year was Jubrile Belo.

[thefrank1]

Belo had committed to MSU before Danny was hired.

[MSU01]

Belo had committed to MSU before Danny was hired.

Correct, and none of the freshmen from his initial recruiting class stayed for four years. Danny definitely took full advantage of the portal to build up the team as fast as he did, and will need to do the same in his new job.

[Desert_Bobcat]

Of course, that wouldn't guarantee that we could then become the next Gonzaga, it may, however, help us keep our coaches longer.

Fun fact; I looked up Mark Few's pay and he makes a cool 1.8 million per year.

Mark Few was the 12th highest paid coach in this years Sweet 16. He doesn't even come close to cracking the top 25 in annual coaches salary (Brian Dutcher, San Diego State's coach is 13th just as an aside). What Few has done at Gonzaga has taken 20 years. Danny was here for 1/5th of that time. Could he have built something special? Heck yeah he could have.
I think the thing we're not realizing that as fans is, with as much money that is thrown around mid and high major schools, the likelihood of getting a guy like Few, Dutcher, Jim Boeheim, or even someone like Travis DeCuire is extremely rare. I'd be willing to bet that one of the main reasons Few didn't leave Gonzaga early on for a better opportunity was that the steelhead fishing in Spokane is much better than in a place like Lawrence, Kansas.

Like I said somewhere on this page; if Montana State wants to stay competitive and not play the coaching carousel game every 2-4 years, a move to a bigger conference is mandatory.

https://frontofficesports.com/highest-p ... l-coaches/

[Cat Grad]

Of course, that wouldn't guarantee that we could then become the next Gonzaga, it may, however, help us keep our coaches longer.

Fun fact; I looked up Mark Few's pay and he makes a cool 1.8 million per year.

Mark Few was the 12th highest paid coach in this years Sweet 16. He doesn't even come close to cracking the top 25 in annual coaches salary (Brian Dutcher, San Diego State's coach is 13th just as an aside). What Few has done at Gonzaga has taken 20 years. Danny was here for 1/5th of that time. Could he have built something special? Heck yeah he could have.
I think the thing we're not realizing that as fans is, with as much money that is thrown around mid and high major schools, the likelihood of getting a guy like Few, Dutcher, Jim Boeheim, or even someone like Travis DeCuire is extremely rare. I'd be willing to bet that one of the main reasons Few didn't leave Gonzaga early on for a better opportunity was that the steelhead fishing in Spokane is much better than in a place like Lawrence, Kansas.

Like I said somewhere on this page; if Montana State wants to stay competitive and not play the coaching carousel game every 2-4 years, a move to a bigger conference is mandatory.

https://frontofficesports.com/highest-p ... l-coaches/

There are those who a geographically myopic. Right now, Ohio has the largest steelhead runs year in and year out. The Columbia Basin sea run salmonoid fishing is in peril. Think Few hasn't been here?

https://mdc.mo.gov/your-property/waters ... hite-river

[Desert_Bobcat]

Of course, that wouldn't guarantee that we could then become the next Gonzaga, it may, however, help us keep our coaches longer.

Fun fact; I looked up Mark Few's pay and he makes a cool 1.8 million per year.

Mark Few was the 12th highest paid coach in this years Sweet 16. He doesn't even come close to cracking the top 25 in annual coaches salary (Brian Dutcher, San Diego State's coach is 13th just as an aside). What Few has done at Gonzaga has taken 20 years. Danny was here for 1/5th of that time. Could he have built something special? Heck yeah he could have.
I think the thing we're not realizing that as fans is, with as much money that is thrown around mid and high major schools, the likelihood of getting a guy like Few, Dutcher, Jim Boeheim, or even someone like Travis DeCuire is extremely rare. I'd be willing to bet that one of the main reasons Few didn't leave Gonzaga early on for a better opportunity was that the steelhead fishing in Spokane is much better than in a place like Lawrence, Kansas.

Like I said somewhere on this page; if Montana State wants to stay competitive and not play the coaching carousel game every 2-4 years, a move to a bigger conference is mandatory.

https://frontofficesports.com/highest-p ... l-coaches/

There are those who a geographically myopic. Right now, Ohio has the largest steelhead runs year in and year out. The Columbia Basin sea run salmonoid fishing is in peril. Think Few hasn't been here?

https://mdc.mo.gov/your-property/waters ... hite-river

Some might argue that Great Lake "steelhead" are just glorified rainbows because they aren't anadromous (living in salt water and returning to spawn in fresh water). Knowing Few is a PNW guy I have an idea he and I might agree on this topic