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Utah State bumps up its coaching salary in the wake of Danny Sprinkle’s exit

Here are the details of Jerrod Calhoun’s five-year deal with the Aggies.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Diana Sabau,Vice President & Athletics Director leads the coaches in the Aggie fight song, during a news conference introducing Wesley Brooks and Jerrod Calhoun as the AggiesÕ new womenÕs and menÕs basketball head coaches, at Utah State University, in Logan, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

Utah State will be paying slightly more for its new men’s basketball coach this time around.

After Danny Sprinkle left for Washington, the Aggies signed Jerrod Calhoun to a five-year deal worth $4.875 million.

His base salary starts at $925,000, with an annual raise of $25,000 for each of his five years. In the last two years of the deal, he will be making over $1 million. His annual incentives run up to $350,000 a year.

Calhoun’s base salary is $25,000 more than Sprinkle’s last year.

Calhoun will also get $750,000 for his assistant coaching salary pool and another $150,000 for his director of basketball operations and other administrative positions.

That is a step up from Sprinkle’s contract. He had a $530,000 salary pool for assistants and $150,000 for his operations and administrative positions.

Calhoun’s buyout is the steepest if he leaves after one season. It drops off after that.

If Calhoun leaves on his own before March 31, 2025, he owes 80% of his remaining salary (which would come out to around $3.16 million).

After April 1, his buyout would be 60% of his remaining salary.

This structure is significant for USU, where the last three coaches have left quickly. Sprinkle left after one season. Ryan Odom left after two years and Craig Smith, now at Utah, left after three. None finished out his contract.

If Calhoun is fired, USU will pay Calhoun 75% of his remaining cumulative salary. It means the buyout would roughly be $2.96 million after year one, and drop under a million dollars after year four.

Beyond the salary, Calhoun will be provided a car — or a $750 monthly car stipend — and a membership to Logan Country Club.