There was a shockingly candid article that appeared in the Post Gazette yesterday. In the article, Penn State associate athletic director of finance Rick Kaluza muses about what life will be like after Joe Paterno and the financial struggles the University is sure to endure.
Penn State officials also worry what will happen to the school's fundraising and budget once Paterno is no longer leading the program. He has two years remaining on his contract.
"Some people walk up to Joe now and just hand him a check, but we have no idea what's going to happen once coach Paterno is gone," Kaluza said. "It's the great unknown. Everyone knows he is a real bargain."
Paterno earned more than $1.03 million in 2008 in salary and bonuses, according to records released by the university, but that did not include outside compensation.
"If we go outside to hire a coach, we know what Mack Brown of Texas makes [$5.1 million] and we know what Nick Saban [$4.7 million] of Alabama makes," Kaluza said. "So, is that where we'll need to be? Probably. And that figure doesn't even include the assistant coaches.
"If we stay inside and [defensive coordinator] Tom Bradley is the new coach, then we can probably keep things a little closer to where we are now."
Oh, the horror. We'll probably have to cut the volleyball programs. Maybe we can keep fencing going, but they will most likely have to eat McDonalds and stay in cockroach infested motels when they travel. Because the new coach will have to take the private jet more often.
Kaluza said Paterno rarely has used the university's jet for recruiting purposes, but that could change, too, if the university hires a coach from the outside.
"If a new coach comes in, he's going to want to be on the university jet all the time, going here and going there to see these high school recruits play their games," Kaluza said. "Every time he hops on that university jet, it's going to be another $6,000 or $7,000."
It's a scary scenario to think about. Except for the fact that the exact same article points out the following.
Penn State's much-talked about new ticket plan, which takes affect in 2011, the year Paterno's contract expires, reportedly could generate another $24 million annually.
So we might have to pay Mack Brown-type money to get a good coach. Cry me a river! You're going to be making an extra $24 million per year, and you're crying about paying out one-fifth of this brand new revenue stream to a new coach?. And let's point out that this isn't money coming from the Big Ten, ESPN, or the Big Ten Network. This is $24 million coming directly out of the pockets of Nittany Lion fans. Pardon us if we expect you to hire a good coach that is, like, going to win games and stuff even if that means paying out Nick Saban money. (Oh, and note to Tom Bradley: Based on the quote above, they are already planning on low balling you, dude. Negotiate accordingly.)
This reminds me of the Canadian luge Olympian who was complaining about having to start from where the women start after Nodar Kumaritshvili from the Georgia Republic died during a practice run the day of the opening ceremonies. You see, the Canadian competitor was upset that he had invested 200 practice runs at the previous starting point and now his timing was completely thrown off.
Dude....SHUT UP!
The fact of the matter is when the day comes that Joe Paterno is no longer the head football coach at Penn State, finding another coach like him will not be easy. Where are you going to find an Ivy League educated man that values education and shaping the lives of young men more than making money for himself and advancing his own career?
Sure, Joe Paterno can walk into a room and charm people into handing over $1000 checks like they're food stamps, but here's a little secret for ya. Unless the next coach is a total jerk of Charlie Weis proportions, he should have no problem raising money. You see, Penn State alumni love Penn State, and they will gladly pay money for a chance to hear the head football coach speak and pose for a photo op. They love their team, and they will support it even if Sponge Bob Square Pants were the head coach.
We often say in these parts that Penn State has two goals in mind: Make money and don't get sued. The athletic department has had it too good for too long. For four decades Joe Paterno has used the success of his football team to travel the country bringing in millions of dollars without asking for a penny of it back. He ran a clean program that never even got a look from the NCAA, and he won more football games than any other Div. I coach while doing it. And now they are starting to realize that when the day comes to start that search, Joe Paterno is not going to walk through that door, and it scares them to death.