Study: Kansas Jayhawks rank near top of college football coach-buyout total
Buyouts of fired coaches are a part of fiscal life in college athletics. But high on a severance spending list is not where a university wants to be.
According to a study conducted by AthleticDirectorU, Kansas ranks fourth on the buyout chart for football and men’s basketball coaches, having doled out more than $23 million over the past 15 years.
Severance packages since 2005 were tabulated, and although coaches weren’t identified, KU has given buyouts to former football coaches Mark Mangino, Turner Gill, Charlie Weis and David Beaty.
Using NCAA financial reports from 52 public universities in Power Five conferences, AthleticDirectorU found schools have spent nearly $500,000,000 in buyouts over the past 15 years.
The study comes at a time when universities are facing financial uncertainty because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The NCAA Tournament, which would be in the Final Four round this weekend, was canceled. If college football is affected by the outbreak, schools would be subject to huge financial pressure.
Topping the football and basketball severance spending is Nebraska at $29,914,154. The Cornhuskers are followed by Auburn ($26 million) and Florida ($25 million).
Kansas has spent $23,921,412. That figure includes $90,000 for a basketball coaching buyout in 2009.
The Jayhawks ranked third on the football coach buyout list behind Florida and Nebraska.
The study found two schools had not spent money on a buyout since 2005 — Missouri and Iowa — although the study apparently did not include the Tigers’ buyout of football coach Barry Odom. He was fired after last season and his buyout was estimated at $2.85 million.
The Hawkeyes have had the same football coach, Kirk Ferentz, since 1999.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 5:11 PM.