Taggart in middle of the pack in annual salary
Coach Willie Taggart’s salary of $1.7 million ranks him 62nd in the nation. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ
Even after agreeing to a new contract that included a three-year extension and a sizable salary bump of $550,000, USF coach Willie Taggart is only ranked as the 62nd highest-paid coach in college football, earning $1.7 million per year.
According to a list of college football coaches’ salaries that was compiled by USA Today, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh tops the list with earnings just north of $9 million.
Former LSU coach Les Miles, who was fired by the school after a 2-2 start to 2016, is 13th on the list and will make just shy of $4.4 million this year without coaching another down.
Former USF coach Skip Holtz, now currently coaching Louisiana Tech, comes in at No. 104 with an annual salary of just over $500,000, but actually earns north of $1 million due to money owed by USF.
USF, which fired Holtz after the 2012 season, has paid him $500,000 each season since and will continue to do so through the 2018 season as part of his buyout from the school.
If the half a million dollars USF is paying Holtz to not coach at the school was given to Taggart instead, it would elevate him to No. 50 on the list, one spot ahead of Cincinnati’s Tommy Tuberville.
Taggart is currently the fourth-highest paid coach in the AAC, with Houston’s second-year coach Tom Herman topping the list at $3 million. The lowest reported salary in the AAC belongs to East Carolina’s Scottie Montgomery, who earns $1 million a year.
Before coming to USF, Taggart earned $225,000 in his first two seasons with Western Kentucky and $475,000 in his final season with the team.
More Stories
Column: USF men’s basketball, thanks for the fun season
This is a personal column about assistant sports editor Noah Vinsky’s first-hand experience covering men’s basketball. Sports have always run in my blood. Growing up, ESPN was nearly on a constant loop on my living room television. I came to USF knowing I wanted to be a writer. The Oracle seemed like a great place […]
USF’s Mindy McCord builds culture of “family and love” into lacrosse
At 23 years old, a career in coaching was not what Mindy McCord had envisioned. After a stint playing for one of the top field hockey teams in Australia following a successful college playing career, she returned to America. McCord was on track to earn a master’s degree in counseling at Virginia Tech while coaching […]
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]
Here’s why these USF softball players chose their jersey numbers
For athletes, the number they wear is more than the added fabric on the back of their jersey. It often tells a deeper story about the players — who they are and where they come from. Here’s why these three USF softball players chose their respective jersey numbers. Related: USF softball is gaining momentum during […]
USF football head coach Alex Golesh: The man behind the process
Football coach Alex Golesh said USF has been on his mind since his own days as a college student when the program was top five in the country. “I distinctly remember sitting there watching it and thinking ‘What is S Florida and what are they doing in the top five in the country?’” Golesh said. […]
USF baseball matches last season’s wins at midseason
USF baseball has reached its midseason, powering through a turnaround year. Despite losing to Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday 7-5, It has already won 21 games, matching the same total from last season with a road victory against Tulane on Sunday. The Bulls (21-16, 7-5 AAC) stand third out of 10 teams in the conference. […]