Of course, Matta uses a few more banks for his compensation than does Brad Stevens at Butler, but the reported $700,000-plus Stevens pulls in is not bad, especially when he doesn’t have to deal with as many irate alums when his team loses a game or two.
Being comfortable with your situation should be a consideration, especially if the money is good enough to give you a comfortable life for a long time.
Remember, Todd Lickliter also left Butler behind, and after three cash-acquiring years at Iowa, was fired. He’s out of a job, although if he invested well, he doesn’t need one.
Now, I don’t know how soon Butler’s fan base will be braying for Stevens’ removal if these championship game defeats continue to pile up, but I know the coaching landscape is littered with guys who moved to “bigger” programs and failed.
That’s one of the reasons Stevens and VCU’s Shaka Smart may stay at their schools longer than you’d expect.
The pay at those places is getting pretty good.
You can win some games there as well.
An “off” season is often tolerated, where it isn’t at an Indiana or Kentucky.
That’s not such a bad combination.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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