Oregon State’s cost of constructing a winning football program is going up for the 2023 season.
The Beavers’ 10 assistant coaches recently agreed and signed two-year contracts, running through the 2024 season. The salary pool for the 2023 season is $4.75 million, an increase of $820,000 over last season.
The latest contracts were obtained through a public records request by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The largest salary increase went to offensive line coach Jim Michalczik, who will earn $775,000 next season and $800,000 in 2024. Michalczik’s 2023 salary is a $200,000 increase over last season. He’s now the second highest paid assistant coach on OSU’s staff, behind offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren.
Lindgren was awarded a $50,000 increase to $825,000, his salary for the next two seasons.
Every coach received a salary increase of at least $40,000 from 2022.
Here are the remaining salaries:
Blue Adams (defensive backs): $400,000 for the next two seasons, an increase of $75,000.
Jake Cookus (special teams): $370,000 for the next two seasons, an increase of $70,000.
Kefense Hynson (receivers): $390,000 for the next two seasons, an increase of $40,000.
Anthony Perkins (cornerbacks): $270,000 over the next two seasons, an increase of $60,000.
Legi Suiaunoa (defensive line): $370,000 over the next two seasons, an increase of $45,000.
Brian Wozniak (tight ends): $300,000 for the next two seasons, an increase of $50,000.
Previously announced were the contracts for first-year running backs coach Keith Bhonapha ($350,000 in 2023, $400,000 in 2024) and defensive coordinator Trent Bray ($700,000 in 2023, $750,000 in 2024). Bray’s salary was increased by $150,000 from the 2022 season.
The $4.75 million pool doesn’t include strength and conditioning coach Mike McDonald, who will be paid $450,000 in 2023 and 2024.
As for bonuses and buyouts, Lindgren and Bray earn a $15,000 bonus if OSU goes to a bowl game, while the rest of the staff receives $10,000. The coordinator buyouts should they leave for another job is $50,000, or $100,000 if they go to a Pac-12 school. The rest of the staff is $50,000 or $75,000. There is no buyout if coaches accept an NFL coaching job, become a head coach, or in the case of non-coordinators, become a coordinator elsewhere.
Consistent salary increases have been one reason OSU has largely kept its staff intact since Jonathan Smith became head coach in 2018. Michalczik, Lindgren, Bray, Suiaunoa, Hynson, Cookus, Wozniak and McDonald have been with Smith for each of his first five years at OSU.
Oregon State has increased its assistant salary pool by nearly $2.2 million since the end of the coach Gary Andersen era in 2017.
For comparison, Washington’s assistant coaches salary pool for 2023 is $7.483 million, while Oregon is $6.710 million. Last year, Washington State had an assistant coaches salary pool of $3.735 million.
In December, Smith was awarded a six-year $30.6 million contract that runs through the 2028 season. Smith will be paid $4.85 million next season.
–Nick Daschel | [email protected] | @nickdaschel