Lisa Bluder (Naismith National Coach of the Year) Bonuses this Season? $235,000

[Franisdaman]

As of Jan 2018 Bluder's annual salary was $766,136





LINK: http://db.desmoinesregister.com/uni...f+Iowa&searchterms[col6]=&searchterms[col11]=

 

[anon_01irjibf16qqj]

Good. She’s earned it.

 

[mtdew_fever]

Isnt that a large bonus for a sport that wont break even?

View embedded media

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Her next contract will be interesting. She’s 58 I believe, and I think this might be the last year of her current deal. Last I knew Iowa WBB loses a ton of money, and other sports in similar situations such as wrestling are forced to be smart about expenses.

For example men’s basketball makes money but the current revenue amounts limit things like how much we can pay a coach and pay for buy games.

 

[Franisdaman]

Her next contract will be interesting. She’s 58 I believe, and I think this might be the last year of her current deal. Last I knew Iowa WBB loses a ton of money, and other sports in similar situations such as wrestling are forced to be smart about expenses.

For example men’s basketball makes money but the current revenue amounts limit things like how much we can pay a coach and pay for buy games.

The info/numbers that follow are a year old.

Note that Bluder's buyout a year ago was $4.14M.

Looks like Bluder is under contract thru 2025. However, making the NCAA tourney might extend it.

Check this out (a Feb 28, 2018 article by Scott Dochterman when he was still part of Land of 10):

Here’s how much they would be owed if they were fired without cause after their current seasons.

Lisa Bluder, women’s basketball — $4.14 million. This is based on Bluder receiving 5 percent increases for two consecutive years after signing her latest extension in 2016. This year, Iowa is a shoo-in to make the NCAA Tournament, which would trigger an automatic two-year extension, a minimum 8 percent raise and extend her contract to seven years through 2025. She is owed her remaining guaranteed salary if she’s dismissed.

LINK: https://www.daytondailynews.com/spo...ghest-profile-coaches/LNBNb6PnnLWeHwTKoT3pHK/

 

[Franisdaman]

Isnt that a large bonus for a sport that wont break even?

Her next contract will be interesting. She’s 58 I believe, and I think this might be the last year of her current deal. Last I knew Iowa WBB loses a ton of money, and other sports in similar situations such as wrestling are forced to be smart about expenses.

For example men’s basketball makes money but the current revenue amounts limit things like how much we can pay a coach and pay for buy games.

I updated the orig post. As of Jan 2018 Bluder's annual salary was $766,136.

 

[mtdew_fever]

Holy crap? A $4.14m buyout on a women's basketball coach?

I understand the coaches love Barta, but he is a total idiot in regards to contracts.

QUOTE="Franisdaman, post: 6443137, member: 64945"]The info/numbers that follow are a year old.

Note that Bluder's buyout a year ago was $4.14M.

 

[Franisdaman]

Holy crap? A $4.14m buyout on a women's basketball coach?

I understand the coaches love Barta, but he is a total idiot in regards to contracts.

QUOTE="Franisdaman, post: 6443137, member: 64945"]The info/numbers that follow are a year old.

Note that Bluder's buyout a year ago was $4.14M.

Yep. I totally don't get that buyout.

And how can you afford paying her $766,000 a year? And then you have to pay her 3 assistants as well.

Crazy.

 

[Hawksfor3]

And how can you afford paying her $766,000 a year? And then you have to pay her 3 assistants as well.

Looks like another case for Dochterman.

 

[anon_gjzkhykcp9iuj]

Folks may not agree with the amounts, but it was definitely earned.

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

Brenda Frese and C.Vivian stringer make upwards of $1 million in total compensation. 766k is on par with many other top coaches. The buyout is large but I don't see LB ever being fired so it will never get triggered. Iowa Women's Basketball is on a short list of programs that actually does make money. In 19 years she has led Iowa to15 NCAA appearances and 3 NIT appearances. She deserves every penny.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Why do so many people fail to understand that large buyouts save you money in current compensation? If you never pay a buyout, you come out ahead unless it prevents you from firing them.

Iowa gets away with paying Fran 10th place money because a high percentage of his deal is guaranteed.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Brenda Frese and C.Vivian stringer make upwards of $1 million in total compensation. 766k is on par with many other top coaches. The buyout is large but I don't see LB ever being fired so it will never get triggered. Iowa Women's Basketball is on a short list of programs that actually does make money. In 19 years she has led Iowa to15 NCAA appearances and 3 NIT appearances. She deserves every penny.

They don’t make money. In the last budget I saw they had a few hundred thousand in ticket revenue and almost $5mm in annual expenses. Even if you allocate a portion of the conference to women’s hoops there’s no way they are in the black.

 

[BGHAWK]

Lisa's buyout is a moot point.

 

[blackett73]

Who cares, she's worth every penny as far as I'm concerned!

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

The most disturbing part of Bluder's contract is that making the NCAA Tournament triggered an automatic two year extension. If it were an Elite 8 or a Sweet 16, that's one thing, but a Tournament appearance? That's the expected result from Iowa under Bluder. Giving extensions for Tournament appearances screams mediocre expectations.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

The most disturbing part of Bluder's contract is that making the NCAA Tournament triggered an automatic two year extension. If it were an Elite 8 or a Sweet 16, that's one thing, but a Tournament appearance? That's the expected result from Iowa under Bluder. Giving extensions for Tournament appearances screams mediocre expectations.

Lol, or administrative support

 

[BBHawk]

The most disturbing part of Bluder's contract is that making the NCAA Tournament triggered an automatic two year extension. If it were an Elite 8 or a Sweet 16, that's one thing, but a Tournament appearance? That's the expected result from Iowa under Bluder. Giving extensions for Tournament appearances screams mediocre expectations.

Of all of the crap happening in the world you find this disturbing?

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

Of all of the crap happening in the world you find this disturbing?

That's not what my message said. This thread is full of people pointing out issues they have with Bluder's contract situation, be it the buyout or the season bonus. I pointed out that the most egregious part of it, to me, was the contract extension for expected results. That can be the most disturbing or egregious part of something and still be magnitudes less egregious/disturbing than many or even most other things.

 

[BBHawk]

That's not what my message said. This thread is full of people pointing out issues they have with Bluder's contract situation, be it the buyout or the season bonus. I pointed out that the most egregious part of it, to me, was the contract extension for expected results. That can be the most disturbing or egregious part of something and still be magnitudes less egregious/disturbing than many or even most other things.

Egregious/disturbing though? Maybe the worst to you, but those 2 words would be an excellent example of hyperbole.
Seriously, relatively speaking, if a coach is a lower-paid coach in her league, having performance-based incentives is a smart, cost-effective way to negotiate her contract. The university gets more money when her teams do better not just from postseason games, but also from increased ticket and copy-righted items sales.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

Egregious/disturbing though? Maybe the worst to you, but those 2 words would be an excellent example of hyperbole.
Seriously, relatively speaking, if a coach is a lower-paid coach in her league, having performance-based incentives is a smart, cost-effective way to negotiate her contract. The university gets more money when her teams do better not just from postseason games, but also from increased ticket and copy-righted items sales.

You're nitpicking word choice just to nitpick. It's not furthering our discussion.

I have no issue with incentives when they require an above average performance. This was a wonderful season, and Coach Bluder deserves the bonuses she's getting for helping create it.

My issue is that the contract has huge incentives (adding fully guaranteed years to her contract) for average performance (making a single NCAA Tournament). I have the same issue with Coach Ferentz getting incentives for winning 7 games. It's rewarding mediocrity.

And I'm taking issue with it, because it seems to be common practice with our athletic department. Neither Bluder nor Ferentz is likely to leave Iowa at this stage of their careers. It would take an egregiously bad offer for them to even consider it. If offered reasonable compensation that is mostly guaranteed over the course of say 3 or 4 years, they would almost certainly accept it. The alternative is what, uprooting their lives or retirement?

Instead, in Coach Bluder's case, we gave her a fully guaranteed 7 year contract that turned into a 9 year contract if she made the NCAA Tournament one time. There's no realistic out to that contract. If she finishes dead last in the Big Ten the next five years, she'll still be coaching in year six unless she decides to retire.

 

[BGHAWK]

Yeah, Bluder and Ferentz aren't going anywhere at this stage of their career, so let's see if we can get them to continue to finish out here for as few bucks as possible.

 

[IowaNiceHawk]

Good. She’s earned it.

I believe I read that Miss Mulkey, who coaches the team that kept
IOWA and Lisa Bluder from winning the National Championship
is paid $ 2 million per year. Muffie at Notre Dame over 1 million.
Who knows how much the cheater at UCONN Make$.

GO HAWKS ! Great job Lisa and all the Team!

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

Yeah, Bluder and Ferentz aren't going anywhere at this stage of their career, so let's see if we can get them to continue to finish out here for as few bucks as possible.

My worry with that strategy is that their performances could go way down hill, and we're still committed to them long term. We're negotiating from a position of strength.

In 2016, we could've offered Bluder a 3 year deal with the same salary and bonuses as her current deal and had that accepted. We could've then offered her another 3 year deal this year with the same salary and bonuses as her current deal. She'd likely command more now on the open market coming off an Elite 8, but she has no intention of ever hitting the open market again. Using the 3 year deal strategy, we likely come to a similar place in terms of dollars while cutting out much of the long term risk of a drop in performance.

 

[cannibal in the woods]

The Ferentz remoras here are always quick to cry "IRRELEVANT!!!!" when his salary is brought up, hinted to, or even implied. However, everyone else's salary is on the table for discussion? Bizarre, kinda like the said remoras.

 

[BGHAWK]

My worry with that strategy is that their performances could go way down hill, and we're still committed to them long term. We're negotiating from a position of strength.

In 2016, we could've offered Bluder a 3 year deal with the same salary and bonuses as her current deal and had that accepted. We could've then offered her another 3 year deal this year with the same salary and bonuses as her current deal. She'd likely command more now on the open market coming off an Elite 8, but she has no intention of ever hitting the open market again. Using the 3 year deal strategy, we likely come to a similar place in terms of dollars while cutting out much of the long term risk of a drop in performance.

I guess "we" should have put the screws to Lisa. That's a nice way of rewarding her for her loyalty and a pretty good clean program.

 

[seam]

You're nitpicking word choice just to nitpick. It's not furthering our discussion.

I have no issue with incentives when they require an above average performance. This was a wonderful season, and Coach Bluder deserves the bonuses she's getting for helping create it.

My issue is that the contract has huge incentives (adding fully guaranteed years to her contract) for average performance (making a single NCAA Tournament). I have the same issue with Coach Ferentz getting incentives for winning 7 games. It's rewarding mediocrity.

And I'm taking issue with it, because it seems to be common practice with our athletic department. Neither Bluder nor Ferentz is likely to leave Iowa at this stage of their careers. It would take an egregiously bad offer for them to even consider it. If offered reasonable compensation that is mostly guaranteed over the course of say 3 or 4 years, they would almost certainly accept it. The alternative is what, uprooting their lives or retirement?

Instead, in Coach Bluder's case, we gave her a fully guaranteed 7 year contract that turned into a 9 year contract if she made the NCAA Tournament one time. There's no realistic out to that contract. If she finishes dead last in the Big Ten the next five years, she'll still be coaching in year six unless she decides to retire.

There are 349 D1 women's BB teams. Being one of the 64 to make the NCAA tourney seems a bit above average, statistically. You don't see it that way?

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

There are 349 D1 women's BB teams. Being one of the 64 to make the NCAA tourney seems a bit above average, statistically. You don't see it that way?

By virtue of being in the Big Ten, Iowa is at a significant advantage in qualifying for the NCAA Tournament as compared to the vast majority of those other schools. As an example, the women's NCAA Tournament began in 1982. Iowa has qualified for the Tournament 26 times out of 37 opportunities.

Based on those results, I'd call making the tournament at Iowa an average season. Not making it is below average. Winning a tournament game is above average.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

I guess "we" should have put the screws to Lisa. That's a nice way of rewarding her for her loyalty and a pretty good clean program.

I don't see how offering a three year contract is putting the screws to her. If she keeps performing like she has her entire career at Iowa, Iowa can keep renewing her contract every three years until she wants to retire. If her performance trails off significantly, it offers Iowa a way to move on after only a couple years rather than being committed for 7 or even 9 more years. Those are more favorable employment terms than most people in the country get, and are par for the course in athletics.

 

[BGHAWK]

I don't see how offering a three year contract is putting the screws to her. If she keeps performing like she has her entire career at Iowa, Iowa can keep renewing her contract every three years until she wants to retire. If her performance trails off significantly, it offers Iowa a way to move on after only a couple years rather than being committed for 7 or even 9 more years. Those are more favorable employment terms than most people in the country get, and are par for the course in athletics.

You don't understanding the value of having a coach's contract going forth for 4 or 5 years do you? That's why coaches almost always have that many years. Call Barta and bitch because none of us here can help you.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

You don't understanding the value of having a coach's contract going forth for 4 or 5 years do you? That's why coaches almost always have that many years. Call Barta and bitch because none of us here can help you.

This isn't 4 or 5 years. It's 7 years that became 9 with a single Tournament appearance. That's a huge difference. Coaches routinely have 4 year deals. They don't routinely have 9 year deals.

And I don't care nearly enough about this to contact the administration to complain about it. I'm just discussing Hawkeye sports on a Hawkeye sports forum. That's what the forum was intended for.

 

[BBHawk]

By virtue of being in the Big Ten, Iowa is at a significant advantage in qualifying for the NCAA Tournament as compared to the vast majority of those other schools. As an example, the women's NCAA Tournament began in 1982. Iowa has qualified for the Tournament 26 times out of 37 opportunities.

Based on those results, I'd call making the tournament at Iowa an average season. Not making it is below average. Winning a tournament game is above average.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Average is what your record is relative to your peers. You are either better or not. Bluder has been better. Much better. She has taken Iowa Women's basketball to places it has rarely been.

And 26 out of 37 is WAY above average. That is tied for 10th most in all of Women's D1 college basketball, and tied for tops in the B1G. Bluder alone has taken her teams to the tournament 14 out of 19 years. THAT is exceptional.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Average is what your record is relative to your peers. You are either better or not. Bluder has been better. Much better. She has taken Iowa Women's basketball to places it has rarely been.

And 26 out of 37 is WAY above average. That is tied for 10th most in all of Women's D1 college basketball, and tied for tops in the B1G. Bluder alone has taken her teams to the tournament 14 out of 19 years. THAT is exceptional.

Let's look at the numbers:

C. Vivian Stringer: 12 years, 9 NCAA Tournaments, 4 Sweet 16s, 3 Elite 8s, 1 Final 4
Angie Lee: 5 years, 3 NCAA Tournaments, 1 Sweet 16
Lisa Bluder: 19 years, 14 NCAA Tournaments, 2 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8

Bluder's numbers aren't better than Iowa's previous two coaches. She's made the NCAA Tournament at a similar rate, and has had less tournament success than Stringer. Bluder's a very good coach, but she hasn't taken Iowa women's basketball to places it's rarely been. There was a 17 year history of success at reaching tournaments and going on deep tournament runs before she got here.

As far as defining average, I'd call Iowa an upper half Big Ten (and Power 5) school in women's basketball. Iowa has a history of success. It has great fan support when the team is successful. Bluder's salary was upper half of the conference a few years ago (source below) and has gone up significantly since.

An upper half Big Ten school should expect to go to the NCAA Tournament most years. Missing the tournament would be below average. Having tournament success would be above average. Elite 8 runs or bottom of the conference finishes are outliers.

https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/1...-who-are-the-best-paid-coaches-in-the-big-ten

 

[cyberhawk]

They don’t make money. In the last budget I saw they had a few hundred thousand in ticket revenue and almost $5mm in annual expenses. Even if you allocate a portion of the conference to women’s hoops there’s no way they are in the black.

Iowa averaged 6,797 fans in its 17 home games, a 24.7% increase from last season.

https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/s...rentz-fran-mccaffery-lisa-bluder/3398660002/#

Is their budget public information on the web? If so I would like to see it if you have a link to it.

 

[BBHawk]

Let's look at the numbers:

C. Vivian Stringer: 12 years, 9 NCAA Tournaments, 4 Sweet 16s, 3 Elite 8s, 1 Final 4
Angie Lee: 5 years, 3 NCAA Tournaments, 1 Sweet 16
Lisa Bluder: 19 years, 14 NCAA Tournaments, 2 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8

Bluder's numbers aren't better than Iowa's previous two coaches. She's made the NCAA Tournament at a similar rate, and has had less tournament success than Stringer. Bluder's a very good coach, but she hasn't taken Iowa women's basketball to places it's rarely been. There was a 17 year history of success at reaching tournaments and going on deep tournament runs before she got here.

As far as defining average, I'd call Iowa an upper half Big Ten (and Power 5) school in women's basketball. Iowa has a history of success. It has great fan support when the team is successful. Bluder's salary was upper half of the conference a few years ago (source below) and has gone up significantly since.

An upper half Big Ten school should expect to go to the NCAA Tournament most years. Missing the tournament would be below average. Having tournament success would be above average. Elite 8 runs or bottom of the conference finishes are outliers.

https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/1...-who-are-the-best-paid-coaches-in-the-big-ten

Lee's numbers are inflated because of Stringer's recruits. She ended on a flat note and was fired.

Stringer is a hall-of-fame coach. Bluder has done very well in comparison. To compare the two shows you don't have a clue.

 

[cyberhawk]

Lisa was a protégé of Stringer and has had the definite upper hand in head-to-head. So what does that tell you about comparisons? I think it says they are flawed and therefore basically meaningless.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

Lee's numbers are inflated because of Stringer's recruits. She ended on a flat note and was fired.

Stringer is a hall-of-fame coach. Bluder has done very well in comparison. To compare the two shows you don't have a clue.

First, there’s no need for insults. I haven’t insulted you and would appreciate the same courtesy.

The point of the comparison is to show Iowa’s basketball history over the course of 37 years. Of course C. Vivian Stringer was a great coach. Her tenure helped build Iowa’s program, and Bluder benefitted from taking over that program a few years later. Bluder has maintained the program at a very high level since.

The program Bluder inherited, and the program her successor will inherit, should expect to go to the NCAA Tournament a majority of years. Maybe not at a 70% clip like Bluder and Stringer, but a majority. Thus getting to the Tournament and no further is an average result for Iowa as a program.

Bringing things back to my original argument: it seems strange to have such a big incentive in a contract (two year contract extension fully guaranteed) for making a single tournament in 7 years when Bluder has done so at a 70% rate and the program should expect to do so a majority of the time.

 

[BBHawk]

You just don't get it. Nothing I can do to help you. Sorry!

 

[BGHAWK]

First, there’s no need for insults. I haven’t insulted you and would appreciate the same courtesy.

The point of the comparison is to show Iowa’s basketball history over the course of 37 years. Of course C. Vivian Stringer was a great coach. Her tenure helped build Iowa’s program, and Bluder benefitted from taking over that program a few years later. Bluder has maintained the program at a very high level since.

The program Bluder inherited, and the program her successor will inherit, should expect to go to the NCAA Tournament a majority of years. Maybe not at a 70% clip like Bluder and Stringer, but a majority. Thus getting to the Tournament and no further is an average result for Iowa as a program.

Bringing things back to my original argument: it seems strange to have such a big incentive in a contract (two year contract extension fully guaranteed) for making a single tournament in 7 years when Bluder has done so at a 70% rate and the program should expect to do so a majority of the time.

You are the only one here to seems to have a problem with her long term contract, I sure do not.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

You are the only one here to seems to have a problem with her long term contract, I sure do not.

And that problem is a relatively minor one. I just think our Athletic Department isn’t negotiating coaching contracts as optimally as it could be, and is exposing the program to risk as a result. I’m not trying to say Bluder is a bad coach, or should be fired, or something like that.

Overall I’ve enjoyed the discussion. I’ve had to defend my position, consider flaws against it, and think deeply about the issue.