Trustees approve salaries for fiscal year

University of Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek (left) introduces head gymnastics coach Jordyn Wieber (center) and head basketball coach Eric Musselman to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in Little Rock.

— University of Arkansas trustees in a meeting Tuesday approved the maximum amounts that could be paid in salary and bonuses to 80 Razorback coaches, administrators and support staff in the new fiscal year.

The approved amounts represent base salaries and conditional performance bonuses for the employees, but don’t necessarily represent pay raises.

Bonuses for coaches are awarded for competitive success and, in some cases, meeting graduation rate and academic progress goals for their athletes.

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For example, Arkansas football coach Chad Morris was approved for maximum compensation of $4.7 million for the next fiscal year. However, he’ll only be paid that much if he achieves all of his performance bonuses during the next season.

The total amount includes a base salary of $3.5 million — unchanged from last year — and $1.2 million in potential bonuses that will only be paid if he achieves goals set in his contract. Potential bonuses include team academic achievements, qualifying for a bowl game, winning an SEC division or overall championship, etc.

Some coaches, like Razorbacks baseball coach Dave Van Horn, were approved for scheduled increases to their base salaries, per provisions in their contracts. Van Horn’s team won a second straight SEC West Division championship and returned to the College World Series in 2019.

At least five of Arkansas’ head coaches received base salary increases for next year, including women’s track and cross country coach Lance Harter (whose team won two NCAA championships), softball coach Courtney Deifel, men’s golf coach Brad McMakin and women’s golf coach Shauna Taylor.

The pay raise for the five head coaches was a combined $130,000.