ARDMORE — Anyone thinking Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops or men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel have an eye toward greener pastures might want to take a good look at the new contracts approved for each at the OU Board of Regents meeting Wednesday.

The university’s governing body approved seven-year, incentive-laced contracts for both coaches that will make Stoops one of the highest paid coaches in the nation and also boost Capel to one of the highest paid in the Big 12.

“We say this every time there’s an increase in coaches’ compensation: There’s those who will always question why and how from one perspective,” OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said. “For us, we’re recognizing the growth and achievement of the programs they coach; the success that is present, not what just has occurred, but what we believe will continue to occur in the years ahead.”

No state money is used for coaches’ salaries. All compensation packages are funded through athletic department revenue.

Stoops’ deal will pay him $30.125 million through the 2015 season. He will receive a salary of $3.675 million this coming season, but it will automatically increase by $200,000 every year. Stoops will also receive a stay bonus of $700,000 each July starting in 2010.

His salary will top out at $4.875 million in 2011 with an additional one-time $800,000 bonus if he coaches through the 2010 season. He’ll make $4.475 million over the final three years of the contract.

The stay bonus is nothing new for Stoops. He received a $3 million annuity following last season as a part of an agreement signed six years ago.

In an interesting move, the stay bonuses for both Stoops and Capel are payable over the summer, instead of the end of a season.

“We annualized that amount so it triggers at a certain time of year following what we would call the hiring periods — not just collegiate hiring, but the NFL hiring periods,” Castiglione said.

Capel’s new contract is also loaded with a stay bonuses. His deal will pay him $13.28 million over the next seven years. His salary will be $1.5 million for this coming season. It will escalate by $50,000 over the next three seasons and by $70,000 for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

If Capel is still OU’s coach in June of 2014, he will receive a one-time bonus of $1.1 million and will make $2.84 million that season. He’ll receive an additional bonus of $400,000 if he completes the contract.

Capel made $1.05 million last season. The significant raise is an attempt by OU to ward off speculation that has surrounded Capel following the last two seasons.

In March of 2008, South Carolina was believed to be after the Sooner coach. Arizona was among the schools interested in Capel following last season.

“When those rumors start floating and people start questioning and speculating what might happen or whether or not a person is interested ... they always ask what are we going to do? I usually say, ‘Well, have you ever looked at what we have already done?”’ Castiglione said. “Our emphasis has always been on more of a proactive approach versus a reactive one. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we won’t react if a situation develops. It just means that we’re thinking ahead.”

Castiglione said Capel’s success shares a lot of the same traits with what Sherri Coale has achieved with the women’s basketball program over the last decade.

“You see, there is common thread of characteristics among coaches who are developing programs. They’re showing their skill and ability. We feel just as grateful to have them leading our programs,” he said. “When one takes everything into consideration, I feel grateful that (OU president David Boren) and our board demonstrated their leadership for what we are trying to achieve.”

Other coaches

Coale also received an extension and a $40,000 raise Wednesday. Coale, who guided the Sooners to their second Final Four appearance in April, will make $900,000 next season. He salary will grow by $20,000 each season through 2017.

Baseball coach Sunny Golloway and softball coach Patty Gasso also received raises along with having their contracts extended. Gasso received a two-year extension through the 2013 season. She also received an increase in her base salary to $133,000.

Golloway was given a three-year extension through 2013. His salary will rise from $187,800 per season to $201,000. The Sooners finished second in the Big 12 Conference this past season and were a No. 7 national seed for the NCAA tournament.

“We don’t always reflect on the one year, but it validate things are being done the right way,” Castiglione said of the direction Golloway has taken the baseball program. “I think this season established some momentum in our program that we haven’t had in a while. You look at the recruiting he and his staff have done. The interest level of perspective student-athletes in our program … We need to have stability there and coach Golloway has his program headed in the right direction.”

The board also approved the contracts of newly hired men’s tennis coach John Roddick and men’s golf coach Ryan Hybl. Hybl will receive $100,000 a year over the next four years. Roddick’s salary is for four years at $99,800.



Assistants

In addition to the head coaches, the football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball coaches also received raises.

Stoops’ assistants all received bumps with offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and defensive coordinator Brent Venables getting the biggest raises. Venables will make $395,000 this coming season. Wilson will take in $385,000. All of the football assistant coaches, including director of sports enhancement Jerry Schmidt, will make at least $195,000 next season.

All of Capel’s assistants — Benjamin Betts, Mark Cline and Oronda Taliaferro received $12,000 raises. Coale’s assistants — Stacy Hansmeyer, Jan Ross and Chad Thrailkill — also received $12,000 bumps for next season.

John Shinn

366-3536

jshinn@normantranscript.com



Bob Stoops



Contract breakdown

Seven years, $30.125 million

Figures do not include potential yearly performance bonuses

2009: $3.675 million

$250,000 (base)

$2.725 million (private funds)

$700,000 (stay bonus payable in July 2010)

2010: $3.875 million

$250,000 (base)

$2.925 million (private funds)

$700,000 (stay bonus payable in July 2011)

2011: $4.875 million

$250,000 (base)

$3.125 million (private funds)

$700,000 (stay bonus payable in July 2012)

$800,000 (payable following the 2011 season)

2012: $4.275 million

$250,000 (base)

$3.325 million (private funds)

$700,000 (stay bonus payable in July 2013)

2013: $4.475 million

$250,000 (base)

$3.525 million (private funds)

$700,000 (stay bonus payable in July 2014)

2014: $4.475 million

$250,000 (base)

$3.525 million (private funds)

$700,000 (stay bonus payable in July 2015)

2015: $4.475 million

$250,000 (base)

$3.525 million (private funds)

$700,000 (stay bonus payable in July 2016)



Jeff Capel



Contract breakdown

Seven years, $13.28 million

Figures do not include potential yearly performance bonuses

2009-10: $1.5 million

$250,000 (base)

$1.25 million (private funds)

2010-11: $1.55 million

$250,000 (base)

$1.3 million (private funds)

2011-12: $1.6 million

$250,000 (base)

$1.35 million (private funds)

2012-13: $1.67 million

$250,000 (base)

$1.42 million (private funds)

2013-14: $2.84 million

$250,000 (base)

$1.49 million (private funds)

$1.1 million (stay bonus payable in June 2014)

2014-15: $1.82 million

$250,000 (base)

$1.57 million (private funds)

2015-16: $2.3 million

$250,000 (base)

$1.65 million (private funds)

$400,000 (stay bonus payable in June 2016)