Man, when San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich quipped that there was a strong chance he’d return next season because “the paycheque is pretty good,” he wasn’t kidding.
Somewhat buried in this column from ESPN’s Marc Stein was the revelation that Coach Pop’s five-year contract he signed last summer pays him upwards of $11 million per year.
That makes Pop the highest-paid coach in the NBA, topping Doc Rivers by a cool million. Of course, Popovich should rake in the most dough of any sideline patroller, given that he is the league’s active coaching leader in championships won with five, which also ties him for third all-time.
Though it’s hard to get exact figures, the $11 million mark is considered to be the highest coaching salary in North American sports.
NFL: (tie) Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints/Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks- $8,000,000
NCAAF: Nick Saban, Alabama – $7,160,000
NCAAB: John Calipari, Kentucky – $6,350,000
MLB: Joe Maddon, Chicago Cubs – $6,000,000
NHL: Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks – $2,750,000
(None of it holds a candle to soccer manager Pep Guardiola, who earned a reported total of $24,000,000 last season with Bayern Munich).
So, yeah, we’d imagine it’ll be pretty difficult for Pop to walk away from that kind of scratch. Only time will tell.
Also remember parents: if your kids don’t have the skills to make it as a pro athlete don’t worry – clearly there’s no shame in steering them toward coaching.
