Chris BonoWhat does an experienced head coach of a major NCAA Division I wrestling program get?
It's been a subject of speculation wherever wrestling fans gather -- in online wrestling forums, on social media and at watering holes across the country. It's pretty rare for the wrestling community to be made aware of the details of an employment contract, other than the length of the employment term, as evidenced by recent announcements concerning contract extensions for head wrestling coaches at North Carolina State and University of Northern Iowa which did not disclose salary.
Here's an exception: we know the terms of the University of Wisconsin's contract for Chris Bono to be the new head coach of the Badger wrestling program -- including annual salary -- thanks to Madison.com.
The news organization sought a copy of the contract Bono signed with Wisconsin on March 24 under an open records request ... and received the document on Friday.
Bono, 44, who had been coaching at South Dakota State University for the past six seasons until accepting the new job with the Badgers last month, will be making an annual salary of $250,000 during the length of the three-year contract ... nearly twice what he made coaching the Jackrabbits mat program.
What's more, as Madison.com points out, Bono's new salary is more than double the final salary of Barry Davis, who announced his retirement at the end of the season after 25 years at Wisconsin. Davis was making $107,467, according to his most recently available contract.
Doug Tiedt, senior associate athletic director who is responsible for the UW wrestling program, said the Badgers tried to match what coaches are paid at top programs.
"To be competitive, we felt the salary was something that we needed to be competitive with the other programs in the country," Tiedt said.
To provide some perspective, Tom Brands, who heads up the University of Iowa wrestling program, received a base salary of $177,000 -- and total compensation of $359,033 -- in the 2016 fiscal year, according to the Des Moines Register. The same newspaper reported that Iowa State's Kevin Dresser had a base salary of $300,000 in 2017-18.
As head coach of the SDSU Jackrabbits, Bono made $130,000 in the 2017-18 school year, according to the South Dakota Board of Regents. Bono's salary was due to increase to $140,000 in 2018-19 and $150,000 in 2019-20.
Tiedt disclosed that there were approximately 100 applications for the head wrestling coach position at Wisconsin.
"As I talked to contacts around the country, people said this was the premier job that was going to be open," Tiedt said. "It's in the best wrestling conference in the country (the Big Ten). And I think people often called Wisconsin a sleeping giant in terms of the talent and the potential for the program."
Beyond salary: some of the fine print of Bono's contract
The employment contract Chris Bono signed one month ago to become Wisconsin's head wrestling coach is eleven pages long. It extends for three years -- from April 2, 2018 through May 31, 2021. There are provisions to extend the contract, and it is subject to annual review.
Bono's annual salary of $250,000 is for an eleven-month year; he is scheduled to have the entire month of June off each year. The contract also says the new coach is entitled to "vacation, sick leave and other benefits available to limited appointees of the University."
What's more, the salary also includes payment for "all required TV, radio or other media appearances on behalf of the University."
As for potential ventures on the side ... according to the contract, the coach must receive prior annual, written approval from the Director of Athletics for, among other things, "sports camps, TV and radio programs, commercial endorsements and consulting with athletic shoe, apparel or equipment manufacturers or sellers."
What about relocating Coach Bono and his family from Brookings, South Dakota to Madison, Wisconsin? According to the contract, "the University will contribute to moving expenses, subject to University and state rules." Note: if the coach were to resign or be dismissed within 12 months of being hired, he would be responsible for repaying Wisconsin the full amount. If he were to leave sometime between 12-24 months, the coach would owe half the moving expenses.
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