GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The national title game is two weeks away, but the presents might continue to appear underneath Urban Meyer’s tree well after Christmas Day.
Like the holiday carol says, “Joy to the Meyers, for payday has come.”
Should Florida defeat Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series title game Jan. 8 in Miami — giving Meyer his second title in three years — there will be no denying his financial leverage in Gainesville.
The last college football coach to win two national titles in his first four seasons at a school, USC’s Pete Carroll, quadrupled his original salary to become the highest per-year earner in the game at just more than $4.4 million.
Considering Meyer’s annual salary jumped from $2 million to $3.25 million after his 2006 national title, he could become the country’s highest-paid coach after a second. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley declined comment on Meyer’s contract.
“Everybody understands that we have one of the best, if not the best, coach in the country,” said a prominent Florida booster who spoke on condition of anonymity. “You’ve got to pay them what the market allows. The way you keep a guy is you keep him financially happy.”
Meyer’s opponent in two weeks, Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, reportedly earns more than $6 million this season thanks to a unique bonus. OU is paying Stoops an extra $3 million for reaching the 10-year mark in Norman.
Though topping $6 million is doubtful, Meyer could easily become the Southeastern Conference’s highest-paid coach over LSU’s Les Miles, who makes $3.751 million per year after winning the 2007 national title.
