The enduring cost of Frank Wilson
January 28, 2020
UTSA is currently paying former head coach Frank Wilson $720,000 per year, and he doesn’t even work here.
His payout comes from UTSA students’ pockets, despite us not having any direct say on this decision. The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics reports that 42% of UTSA’s athletic department budget is funded by student fees. The UTSA athletic department is paying Wilson from a budget nearly half funded by students.
It is particularly concerning to know that Frank Wilson is still on UTSA’s payroll despite accepting a $180,000 contract from McNeese State, a university in Louisiana. Per Wilson’s contract, UTSA will continue to pay Willson’s $900,000 base salary, minus his new salary of $180,000 per year from McNeese, for the next two years, coming to over $1.4 million. UTSA is paying Wilson more to not coach at UTSA than McNeese is paying Wilson to coach for them.
Given UTSA’s nine-year 45-61 record, Wilson was not worth the salary the students were paying him. With his new market price at $180,000, UTSA is paying him four times what he is now worth so he can coach somewhere else.
Former Arkansas Associate head coach Jeff Traylor recently became the third head coach for the Roadrunners in a decade, with a five-year contract including an $800,000 base salary per year.
UTSA students fund nearly half of the UTSA athletic department’s budget, and the athletic department is paying $1,520,000 per year for two head coaches.
The UTSA athletic department does not deserve this outrageous amount of money in student fees if they cannot use it responsibly. The UTSA athletic department chose to payout Wilson’s contract two years before it ended and hire Traylor at an $800,00 base salary.
The next time UTSA presents students with a vote to increase UTSA athletic fees, students should remember when the athletic department was paying the salary of two head coaches, while one didn’t work here.
Steve G. • Jan 29, 2020 at 2:50 pm
Would an article have been written if he succeeded and left providing a solid ROI? Am I right in saying that student fees were voted on and have agreed to the athletic fees? The next argument is not current students… I disagree. Current students enrolled her with that on the bill, so move on and be positive towards your athletic program. Never know when you’ll interview with someone who has a helmet in their office. Not all of this is tangible.