Kansas State Basketball: Bruce Weber extension keeps him in second tier

Bruce Weber got two more years and a gradual raise added to his contract, but Kansas State basketball’s head coach is still a bargain in relation to his peers.

Some of the head men’s basketball coaches in the Big 12 are among the highest-paid in their profession in the nation. Even with a new contract extension, Kansas State basketball’s Bruce Weber isn’t one of those.

On May 25, Kansas State and Weber announced that they have agreed to a new contract, which will extend Weber’s deal through the 2022-23 NCAA men’s basketball season. It also gives Weber a progressive raise that will ultimately pay him a total of $13.5 million in base salary over the remaining life of the contract. The new season-by-season breakdown of his base salary, not including any bonuses he might earn, is as follows:

2018-19: $2.5 million
2019-20: $2.6 million
2020-21: $2.7 million
2021-22: $2.8 million
2022-23: $2.9 million

Fans are probably also interested in what it would cost the university to pay him not to coach the Wildcats’ men’s basketball team anymore. The buyout figures for each season if Kansas State should dismiss him “without cause” (not due to some breach of contract on Weber’s part) vary based on the timing that hypothetical decision would come as well.

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Before May 1, 2019: $2.5 million
Between May 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020: $2.6 million
Between May 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021: $2 million
Between May 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022: $1 million
After April 30, 2022: $500,000

Bonuses could reach as high as 32 percent of his base salary in particular seasons based on on-court accolades accomplished. For example, Weber received 20 percent of his 2017-18 salary for taking the Wildcats to the Elite Eight. Though his new base salary for next season represents a raise of a quarter of a million dollars over what he was scheduled to make under the terms of his old contract, fans shouldn’t see these figures as eye-popping when they are put into context.

Even at his top annual value of $2.9 million he is slated to earn in the 2022-23 season, Weber’s compensation pales in comparison to others in his position in the Big 12. According to USA Today, four other Big 12 men’s head basketball coaches were paid more in the 2017-18 season than Weber is slated to make in the 2022-23 season. Among his Big 12 peers, Weber’s compensation is pretty average.

The reason for the fact that Kansas State didn’t make Weber among the highest-paid in the conference may have something to do with his track record. Before taking the Wildcats to the Elite Eight last season, Weber had failed to qualify his team for the NCAA D1 tournament in two of the three previous seasons.

The fact that Kansas State’s athletic department has recently made a major shift to become completely self-funded and eschew all student fees is probably a big part of the reason Weber continues to have a median salary in the Big 12 as well.

If Weber continues to have tournament success, there would be nothing stopping Kansas State from adjusting his contract in the future to reflect that and possibly make him among the highest-paid coaches in the Big 12. For now, however, Weber’s salary is respectable but not impressive.

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