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A more clear statement of Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne’s confidence in Bo Pelini to return Husker football to among the elite is not needed.

Monday’s announcement of Pelini’s new contract — a 68 percent bump in pay that makes him the highest paid coach in Husker history — speaks loudly enough.

Pelini’s five-year contract, handled similarly to his previous one a year ago without agents, will elevate his annual sum to $1.851 million.


NU coach Bo Pelini laughs while speaking with members of the media during a news conference last Tuesday. (LJS file)

“Certainly that’s a lot of money,” Osborne said. “It’s a very large raise. But on the other hand, when you look at the fact that last year football provided 85 percent of the revenue of the whole athletic department, you realize that there’s a lot of responsibility that goes with this job and that he needs to be paid accordingly.”

Pelini’s base salary in his first year as a head coach was $1.1 million — an impressive figure in most conversations, but low in the market of head college football coaches. It ranked 11th-best in the Big 12.

“And we think a school like Nebraska, someone who has performed as well as Bo has over a number of years —not just as a head coach, but an assistant — probably deserves better than that,” Osborne said.

The athletic director expressed pleasure with the step forward the program took in 2008 with a 9-4 season and a Gator Bowl victory, but also said this new contract was about more than just wins and losses.

“I thought he showed continual growth as a head coach. I thought he handled players well. They played hard for him,” Osborne said. “I think he did a good job recruiting. I think he put a good staff together. And so all of those things figured into the equation.”

Pelini’s new salary figure appears to rank seventh in the Big 12, slightly more than Kansas State coach Bill Snyder’s.

The contract features the same types of incentives Pelini had in his previous contract: bonuses for bowl game appearances and national titles, and for academic successes by his athletes.

Like his previous contract, this one has a buyout clause — something not in ex-Husker coach Bill Callahan’s contract — where Pelini would owe NU should he leave for another job. Recalling it by memory, Osborne said he thought Pelini’s buyout starts at $500,000 in its first year and then decreases in $50,000 to $100,000 increments each passing year.

Were Pelini to be fired, the coach would be due the remainder of his contract minus any income from another job.

“I’ve told him several times I think this is a place where he can coach a long time, and we hope that’s what he does,” Osborne said.

Pelini’s salary is slightly above the one given to Callahan just before the 2007 season. Callahan’s contract was worth $1.75 million a year for five years.

By way of a statement, the 41-year-old Pelini said he appreciated the commitment Osborne and the administration showed to the program and the coaching staff.

“Working for Coach Osborne is a great situation, and as I said when I was hired, it is an honor to be here at Nebraska as the head coach,” Pelini said. “I hope to be in this position for a long time and help get this program back to the top of college football.”

Pelini had previously said he hoped his assistants would receive raises, and they did.

In 2008, the nine assistants were known to have made a total of $1.575 million. They will combine to make $1,925,160 this year.

According to figures obtained by the Journal Star, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson will make $375,000. His known salary at the beginning of 2008 was $225,000. Six coaches — Carl Pelini, Ron Brown, Barney Cotton, Marvin Sanders, Ted Gilmore and Tim Beck — are to make $208,360. Second-year assistants Mike Ekeler and John Papuchis are to make $150,000.

Osborne said it was important to note that Pelini did not come to him asking for a new contract, saying Pelini is not a guy driven by money.

“I think he would have been willing to continue to serve at $1.1 million, but we feel that was not particularly the fair thing to do in view of the responsibility he bears and in response of the marketplace,” Osborne said. “And I think people have to be cognizant that sometimes people work very hard and don’t get paid very much, but you pay them what the market is.”

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[caveman99]

Funny how this puts him in the top 25-30 range nationally, but he is only 6th or 7th in the Big XII. Just shows the market that TO has to deal with, but I don't get the impression that Bo really pushed for a raise other than getting more money for his assistants. I think TO thought of it as a package deal to raise the assistants and the HC to make them all competitive as a unit.

[tattooedhusker]

Good for Bo & Co. No gripes from me, he deserves it.

[HuskerFalcon]

its a good thing that Bo doesnt have to ask for the raise

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yeah... TO said that Bo didn't ask. he just received.

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[jimhusker06]

I also think this is a good thing. Now our coaches have more competitive salaries, and a great place to coach.

[tattooedhusker]

and in turn, it helps with continuity

[@venue]

i agree that it helps... but i don't think its enough. bo's future is bright enough.