Montana Regents Votes Down Multi-Year Contracts

[TexasTerror]

Plucked from Ralph's Log, but worth discussing once more as there was a huge push in Montana to get this done because they wanted to protect their coaches (namely the head football and basketball coaches)...
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Havre -- The state Board of Regents is changing its attitude, but not its policy, on long-term contracts for athletic coaches.

Regents on Friday unanimously voted to stick with the status quo, giving them the final say on such deals. But, earlier in their three-day meeting, they expressed a greater willingness to consider multiyear coaching contracts as long as school officials can prove they're warranted by market conditions.

"We need to be open to and encourage administrators to bring forward multiyear contracts in situations where they believe it's important," Regent Mark Semmens of Great Falls said Wednesday.

School officials currently need approval from the Board of Regents for both one-year and multiyear contracts. But regents have not approved a long-term deal in recent memory and universities have rarely sought the exemption because of that, limiting coaches to one-year agreements. Some administrators have claimed the current policy ties their hands in recruiting and retaining top coaches.

However, a survey of state campuses on the issue revealed a desire for change at some, and hesitancy at others, said Kevin McRae, director of labor relations for the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

http://anygivensaturday.com/ralphblog/article.php?story=20060603205737432

Article URL:
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/06/03/sports/local/70-vote.txt

[lucchesicourt]

Maybe this is the reason Montana can't keep coaches. No multi year contracts means no stability. D1's offer multi year contracts and thus more security. So, if you were a coach at Montana making $600, 000 per year for 1 year, and a D1 offered a contract for $500,000 for 4 years guaranteed, what would you take?

[*****]

... D1's offer multi year contracts and thus more security. So, if you were a coach at Montana making $600, 000 per year for 1 year, and a D1 offered a contract...Sorry, I had to do it...

Montana is a D-I.

[GOKATS]

Maybe this is the reason Montana can't keep coaches. No multi year contracts means no stability. D1's offer multi year contracts and thus more security. So, if you were a coach at Montana making $600, 000 per year for 1 year, and a D1 offered a contract for $500,000 for 4 years guaranteed, what would you take?

No coach at Montana or Montana St. is going to make anywhere near $600,000 (try the neighborhood of $120,000 including media bonuses). Multi-year contracts would give some assurance to coaches here (and I'm disappointed in this action by the Board of Regents), but a successful coach is going to bail in a heartbeat to an offer from a I-A school not only for the big bucks but the chance to advance their coaching career.

[elkmcc]

From what I am reading the regents do not want to give the universities the authority to grant multi-year contracts. This (I am hoping) does not mean that they (the regents) will not authorize UM or MSU to grant such multi-year contracts. Thus I am hoping that the Board of Regents will see the necessity of granting such contracts to the programs that need it to keep its coaches from moving to upper divisions (I-A) with the regularity thay have in the past.

[Baldy]

The solution is simple. Have your athletic department's private booster club guarantee the other 3 years of a 4 year contract. It works very well for us. Just ask Mike Sewak. xlolx

[GOKATS]

From what I am reading the regents do not want to give the universities the authority to grant multi-year contracts. This (I am hoping) does not mean that they (the regents) will not authorize UM or MSU to grant such multi-year contracts. Thus I am hoping that the Board of Regents will see the necessity of granting such contracts to the programs that need it to keep its coaches from moving to upper divisions (I-A) with the regularity thay have in the past.

Senate Bill 171 as passed by the 2005 Montana Legislature:

SENATE BILL NO. 171

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITS OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM TO OFFER MULTIYEAR CONTRACTS TO ATHLETIC COACHES; AND AMENDING SECTIONS 20-25-305 AND 28-2-722, MCA

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:



Section 1. Section 20-25-305, MCA, is amended to read:

"20-25-305. President -- powers and duties. Subject to the supervision of the regents, the president of each of the units of the system shall:

(1) have is responsible for the immediate direction, management, and control of the respective units, including instruction, practical affairs, and scientific investigations;

(2) be is the president of the general faculty and of the special faculties of the departments or colleges and the executive head of the unit in all its departments;

(3) have has the duties of one of the professorships as long as the interests of the unit require it;

(4) shall perform the duties of corresponding secretary for the unit;

(5) may offer multiyear contracts to athletic coaches;

(5)(6) shall make an annual report to the regents containing such any information as that they may request; and

(6)(7) shall furnish any special report on request of the regents or the legislature."



Section 2. Section 28-2-722, MCA, is amended to read:

"28-2-722. Contracts for personal services limited to two years -- exception. A Except as provided in 20-25-305, a contract to render provide personal services cannot be enforced against the employee beyond the term of 2 years from the commencement of service under it, but if the contract. If the employee voluntarily continues his service under it the contract beyond that time, the contract may be referred to as affording a presumptive measure of the compensation."

- END -

The recent action by the Regents indicates that they are willing to look at a specific proposal for a multi-year contract, which may good for all sports, but realistically has nothing to do with a football coach moving to I-A for the money as I stated in a previous post.

[BusinessEagle]

The state of Georgia does not allow multi-year contracts either in most if not all situations. At GS, the booster organization guarantees the "other" years of the contract. Therefore, they are on the hook for remaining 3 years of his contract and not the state.

[GOKATS]

The state of Georgia does not allow multi-year contracts either in most if not all situations. At GS, the booster organization guarantees the "other" years of the contract. Therefore, they are on the hook for remaining 3 years of his contract and not the state.

And if the coach receives a great offer from another school is the booster organization responsible for the buyout?

Just curious as a past prez of our booster club.

[eaglesrthe1]

And if the coach receives a great offer from another school is the booster organization responsible for the buyout?

Just curious as a past prez of our booster club.

It would seem to me that if a coach left of his own accord, then the booster organization would be off of the hook.

[Baldy]

It would seem to me that if a coach left of his own accord, then the booster organization would be off of the hook.
and if the contract is written accordingly, the booster organization could stand to make quite a bit of money in a contract buyout situation.

[lucchesicourt]

Ralph. you got me. I was just being lazy by not typing the "A" for D1A. I know Montana is D1AA, which is D1. I'll try not to be so lazy next time.
I guess I should know better from that poster who wants to call UC Davis, Cal-Davis, because it has less syllables. I have learned my lesson. Give me 50 lashes if I do it again.

As for the amount of money a Montana coach makes, I have no idea. My point was that coaches will sometimes will take less money on a yearly basis if there is a long term contract that offers security. So, if a Montana coach is making $120, 000 per year, he might sign a 4 year agreement with a 1A team for $100,000 per year. The amount was just a random figure I chose. It had nothing to do with reality.

[Green Cookie Monster]

Maybe this is the reason Montana can't keep coaches. No multi year contracts means no stability. D1's offer multi year contracts and thus more security. So, if you were a coach at Montana making $600, 000 per year for 1 year, and a D1 offered a contract for $500,000 for 4 years guaranteed, what would you take?

Montana doesn't pay its HC coach more than $125,000.