Ohio State football: How much will new assistant coaches be paid?

Credit: Jamie Sabau

Credit: Jamie Sabau

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day has added four assistants to his staff since the end of the season, and they will make a combined $3.85 million this year.

Leading the way is new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who began Jan. 2 at a salary of $1.9 million.

His salary had already been revealed, but this week the school released the financial terms three more assistants agreed to over the past two weeks.

On Jan. 10, Justin Frye signed a deal to become offensive line coach and associate head coach for offense at a salary of $800,000. He will also get a lump sum of $51,389.

Three days later, Perry Eliano signed a deal to become safeties coach at a salary of $450,00, and Tim Walton signed on to become secondary coach and cornerbacks coach Jan. 14 for a salary of $700,000.

All of the term sheets include bonuses for winning the Big Ten East division, winning the conference championship game, making a bowl and winning nine games, making a non-semifinal College Football Playoff bowl game, making the CFP and making the CFP final.

The assistants also receive an automobile stipend and a set number of football and basketball tickets.

For comparison, Knowles made $800,000 as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State last season while made $210,000 as cornerbacks coach at Cincinnati according to USA Today’s salary database for all college football assistants. Walton’s salary with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars is not a matter of public record like it is for public university employees.

How Ohio State’s assistant coach salary pool compares to previous seasons remains to be seen.

Knowles replaced Kerry Coombs, who made $1.4 million last year, while secondary coach Matt Barnes made $600,000 and outgoing linebackers coach Al Washington made $600,000.

Frye will make $100,000 more than Greg Studrawa, whose contract was due to run out at the end of this month.

Ohio State has not announced a new linebackers coach, but that is a position Knowles has coached in the past.

All indications are Kevin Wilson (offensive coordinator/tight ends coach), running backs coach Tony Alford, receivers coach Brian Hartline, quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis, defensive line coach Larry Johnson and special teams coordinator Parker Fleming will return next season.

Hartline and Alford have received new titles — passing game coordinator and run game coordinator, respectively — but an OSU spokesperson said no other new employment agreements were available at this time.

Wilson and Coombs tied for the highest salaries among Ohio State assistants last season while Johnson (who also has the title associate head coach) made $1.133 million, Alford made $618,000, Hartline made $600,000 and Dennis and Fleming both made $300,000.

Wilson, Johnson, Dennis and Hartline are all due new contracts for the upcoming season while Alford signed a new two-year deal last winter that runs through January 2023.

Wilson, Alford and Hartline received raises last year.

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