The LSU Board of Supervisors voted to approve changes in the contracts of several coaches and an adjustment in football season ticket prices in a meeting held this afternoon.
Defensive coordinator John Chavis will receive a $225,000 raise to $700,000 a year, an increase of 47.4 percent, and new hires Frank Wilson, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, and Billy Gonzales, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, will make $325,000 and $285,000 a year, respectively.
On the baseball staff, head coach Paul Mainieri will receive a raise of $100,000 to $625,000, an increase of 19 percent. Associate head coach David Grewe will receive a $10,000 raise to $150,000 annually, and assistant coach Javier Sanchez will now make $90,000, an increase of $15,000 from his original contract.
Women’s basketball coach Van Chancellor will also receiver a three-year contract extension through June 2015.
LSU Athletic Director and Vice Chancellor Joe Alleva said even in the challenging economic times, these salary increases are necessary to maintain first-rate coaches.
‘I hate the way the trend is going. But we win when we have the best people, and that means we have to pay competitive salaries,’ Alleva said. ‘Coach Mainieri is in the top echelon of baseball coaches — the top five. With Coach Chavis, it keeps going up. One of our sister schools in the [Southeastern Conference] just offered a defensive coordinator $900,000. And he’s not one of the highest by any means.’
The Board also elected to approve some changes in prices for football season ticket holders. Alleva said student ticket prices will not be affected.
The price for games against non-BCS conference opponents will decrease from $45 to $40, and Alleva announced the policy of a SEC ‘Premium Game’ during the season. In 2010, that game will be LSU’s home game against Alabama on Nov. 6, and the price for season ticket holders will be $70.
‘The overall change in price for season ticket holders will be $10,’ Alleva said. ‘And the policy of a ‘Premium Game’ would be consistent with nearly every school in the country.’
—- Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected].