Darian DeVries’ top assistant coaches are likely some of the highest-paid in the country.
The Daily Hoosier obtained copies of the memorandums of understanding for new assistant coaches Rod Clark, Kenny Johnson and Nick Norton this week through a public records request.
According to those documents, Johnson will make in total before bonuses $750,000 in his first year, Clark will make $650,000, and Norton $200,000. As previously reported, Drew Adams will make $400,000.
Unlike college football, it is very rare for a college basketball assistant coach to make over $1 million. But there aren’t public databases that aggregate and report their salaries, so information is limited when it comes to what assistants are making at the top end of the spectrum.
Six months ago when The News Gazette obtained records from across the Big Ten it found that Illinois’ Orlando Antigua was the highest-paid assistant coach in the conference at $900,000 per year, followed by Rutgers’ Brandin Knight at $700,000.
UConn assistant coaches Kimani Young ($1.1 million) and Luke Murray ($893,000) seem to be among the highest-paid. Those figures likely include bonuses earned during their most recent championship run. Arkansas assistants Chin Coleman and Kenny Payne have been reported to be making $700,000 and $900,000, respectively.
Each of Johnson, Clark and Adams arrived at IU with significant experience. All three came from another high major program — Johnson from Georgetown, Clark from Tennessee and Adams from Cincinnati. Norton came with DeVries from West Virginia and is still relatively young at 29.
All of the new IU assistants will have a chance to earn bonuses based on how far Indiana advances in the NCAA Tournament. Each contract is for two years, but will automatically extend an additional year on June 30 of each year, unless IU gives notice of non-renewal.
Indiana has yet to officially announce any of the assistant coaches other than Norton. That is expected to occur at some point this month.
