UO's Chip Kelly among nation's top-paid coaches
The University of Oregon's Chip Kelly is the nation's ninth-highest paid major college coach.
According to an analysis compiled by USA Today , Kelly earned $3.5 million in 2012 on an 11-1 record.
Oregon State University's Mike Riley made $1.3 million.
Alabama's Nick Saban is the nation's highest-paid major college coach, pulling in $5.5 million this season. Texas coach Mack Brown comes in at No. 2, with a $5.4 million paycheck.
Kelly's coaching success has again sparked rumors he'll soon jump ship to the National Football League.
The Portland Business Journal is a KATU.com news partner.
It blows my mind the nasty comments pertaining to Chip Kelly....my oh my the jealousy and envy...once again where were the parents when these sad excuses for human beings were being raised? I wish Kelly all the luck possible in whatever he chooses to do....he has earned it for sure.
Alot of his salary probably goes toward bail money and keeping his players enrolled.
I think the money the university gets from the TV contracts pay his salary. I think he's worth it. If you can do a better job then go be a coach, coach.
What a joke...and us tax payers are footing the bill!
@Dave Actually the fans and tv revenue foot the bill. No tax money is consumed by the UO football program.
@quackmire, Is Mr. Kelly considered a public employee? if so, then I would think tax dollars would go towards his wages, not to mention the pension when he retires.
@quackmire, that's why we are all employed, to generate revenue for our employer. And, this is one of those government boondoggles.
Do you remember the PERS dollars Mike Belotti received?
@Dave - The revenue generated by his employment FAR exceeds his salary and benefits, probably even retirement benefits. If you want to complain, go find a government boondogle that actually IS costing taxpayers money.
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 @nwipac He had to switch from Twinkies to little debbies Hostess is no more...
And worth every penny of it....Chip, if your listening....Stay a couple more years..we do have a National Championship team in the works. Â We might be losing a few good seniors, but we have the depth. Â It will be the Mariota, Thomas and Tyner show next year..... Â GO DUCKS!!
Any chance I could get his job, will do it for 100K plus a duck hat.
I wonder how much Chip Kelly will be getting from PERS upon his retirement?
The football program benefits the university greatly.
Take it away and the school would become second rate overnight.
And the coach makes a high salary because the program brings in many millions.
Just like professional athletes, they do a job that few can do and they help their owners make millions. That is why they can justify the big paychecks.
 @Jack_Bauer Here's the problem....it's not professional sports, it's a learning institution, comparing it to professional sports is not the same.....it's literally a SCHOOL.
 @deejm2112  @Jack_Bauer Its a school, but its also a business. Chip is a major part of the income machine that the University feeds off of. So the comparison stands as perfectly accurate.
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 @deejm2112  @Jack_Bauer Sports competition in Oregon has unfolded for over 100 years, and is enjoyed by HUGE collections of college fans everywhere in the good ole' U S of A.
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Personally, I do not watch too much professional sports including football and basketball because of the hype....and the tripe...(pig intestines involved).
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The college games are as close to virgin as it gets today.
All you people whining about priorities of where money goes. The college football program at U of O makes enough money for the University to have every other sports program as well as bringing notoriety to the state of Oregon and all it's schools. I assure you that a winning football program is worth the investment and the return you receive from it. I'm not even a Duck fan and I realize this. Look into the money the program makes for the school and then come on here and whine.
 @Fuelman76 No my only whine is that the people value large guys chasing a ball so much more then kids getting educated. I love sports but just don't get why people are willing to put up with paying so much to watch them...
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@deejm2112 @Fuelman76 - maybe YOU would listen but the reality is, most people see the benefit.
I thought college was about learning....this is a perversion of priorities.
When is America going to get its priorities straight? 3.5 million for a football coach!! And he isn't the highest paid coach. Good grief!! There are so many other people in other professions that actually add value to our society (e.g., firefighters, policemen, teachers, etc.) and they don't get anywhere near the salary the Chip gets. Again, where are our priorities?Â
 @peckishpete It's because he brings in so much money to the school by people willing to pay $50 to come to a game. No one is willing to pay $50 to watch a physics lecture unless forced to so they can get a degree:)
 @peckishpete never. America's priorities are based upon making money. Capitalism is what it is. There are probably hundreds of teachers, fireman, etc per every elite college coach. It's just a numbers game based upon the rarity of what you do and the amount of money that what you do generates. It cannot change.
Another example of our society's grossly misplaced priorities.
Wonder what his PERS payments will be?
Fabulous! Gotta be able to afford those awesome looking visors somehow! Nobody pulls off the old lesbian look any better than Chip!
@tigress It would be awesome if he married Lane Kiffin. Then that would be the first lesbian couple to coach teams which compete against each other.
@Dirtman Chip Kiffin?
 @Dirtman  @tigress LOL...Bruce Jenner's real purty, too.