Michigan State football: Examining contracts for Jonathan Smith's new assistant coaches

Three of Jonathan Smith’s new assistant coaches for Michigan State football will earn more than $1 million per year.

The Spartans’ two incoming coordinators each got three-year contracts, while five other assistants received two-year deals as the new head coach finalized his 10-man coaching staff, according to documents released by the school Wednesday afternoon.

Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, hired away from Minnesota, will earn $4.8 million in base pay over his contract, starting at $1.5 million in 2024 and increasing by $100,000 over each of the following two seasons. Rossi also will coach MSU’s linebackers.

Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, who followed Smith from Oregon State, will make $1.1 million this season and also get $100,000 more each season in the last two years of his contract. That comes to $3.6 million over three seasons for Lindgren, who also will coach the Spartans’ quarterbacks.

Offensive line and run game coordinator Jim Michalczik is set to earn $1 million in 2024 and $1.1 million in 2025. Three other assistants who received two-year deals — secondary coach Blue Adams, running backs coach Keith Bhonapha and defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa — will have base pay of $525,000 in 2024 and $575,000 in 2025. Tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Wozniak will make $450,000 this season and $500,000 the next. All four came with Smith from Oregon State.

The university has not yet released contracts for three other assistants. One is for wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins, the lone holdover from Mel Tucker’s staff and whose two-year extension he signed in 2022 with an annual base pay of $425,000 does not expire until March 31. The two other coaches were more hired earlier this month, special teams coordinator/defensive ends coach Chad Wilt (who was not retained by Indiana) on Jan. 4 and cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin (from Oregon) on Wednesday.

Smith's seven-year, $52.85 million contract approved by the MSU Board of Trustees on Dec. 15 guarantees him an annual pool of $10.75 million for 10 assistant coaches and support staff, including strength and conditioning coaches and other operations, recruiting and administrative personnel, among others. His agreement also stipulates those deals can be no longer than two-year tenures, other than allowing for three-year deals for the coordinators and new head strength and conditioning coach Mike McDonald, whose contract also was not available.

On bonuses

All seven of the assistant coaches whose contracts were released have the same bonus scales, structured off percentages of their base salaries. That includes 2.5% for making it to the Big Ten championship game and another 2.5% for winning a Big Ten title.

The remainder of their potential bonuses are non-cumulative:

* 4% for winning six games and reaching a non-College Football Playoff bowl game; 8% for winning seven or more games without making the CFP;

* 10% for a CFP first-round game; 12% for reaching the CFP quarterfinals; 15% for making the CFP semifinals; 17.5% for making the CFP championship game; and 20% for winning a national title.

The CFP expands from four to 12 teams this season.

Smith’s contract gives him an opportunity to make up to $1.96 million annually in progressive bonuses. That includes escalating bonuses from $150,000 for reaching the 12-team College Football Playoffs to $400,000 for winning a national title. He would receive $200,000 for getting to a Big Ten championship game and another $200,000 for winning a conference title.

On buyouts/terminations

There also are some interesting clauses and caveats in each contract that were not part of previous assistant coaches’ contracts in recent years.

If Smith were to resign to take another coaching job or is fired by MSU for cause, Lindgren, Rossi and Michalczik would be owed 50% of their base salary over the remaining term of their contracts.

Tucker, Smith’s predecessor, was fired for cause by the university on Sept. 27 after admitting to sexual improprieties during a Title IX investigation into an April 2022 phone call with Brenda Tracy, a prominent national sexual assault victims rights advocate.

Should Smith be fired without cause (as John L. Smith was in 2006), MSU would be on the hook to Lindgren, Rossi and Michalczik for all remaining base pay and unpaid bonuses for the term on their contracts. The other four assistants would be owed the lesser amount of either their base salary for six months or 50% of their base salary over the remainder of their contract should Smith depart for any reason.

If any of the assistants are fired without cause, MSU would pay them the lesser of the remaining money owed on the remaining term of the contract, along with any earned by unpaid team bonuses. Should they be fired with cause, the school would only be required to render payment only for earned salaries and bonuses up to the date of termination.

On moving on

Though Smith’s staffs at Oregon State had decent continuity in his six seasons, job movement often occurs in college football, as witnessed with the churn from Tucker’s staff during his three-plus years.

Like the bonuses, there is a graduated structure for liquidated damages should the coaches leave MSU for another college job.

All seven assistant coaches would owe the university 100% of their base salary if they were to leave in the first year of their deals. That would bump to 115% if they take a job at another Big Ten school.

The two coordinators would be required to pay MSU 25% of their base salary should they leave after the end of the first season and before the third year of their deals. It would escalate to 40% during that time if they leave for another Big Ten job. They would not owe anything if they leave any time after the end of the third season.

Those on two-year contracts would also be subject to paying the school 25% of their base salary if they leave after the first season, or 40% if they go to another job in the conference. They would owe 15% for leaving for another Big Ten program after Year 2 and before their contract expires but nothing for leaving for another position outside the conference.

Lindgren, Rossi and Michalczik would not be required to pay the university any liquidated damages should they leave MSU for a head coaching position at another Division I program or any on-field NFL position; Michalczik also would not be required to pay the school should he take a Division I coordinator position with play-calling responsibilities.

However, the other four assistants would be required to pay the school $25,000 should they leave for any NFL on-field coaching position, a clause that was not in contracts for the previous staff. Former pass rush specialist, Brandon Jordan, left MSU in March 2023 to take a similar pro job with the Seattle Seahawks after 13 months on Tucker’s staff.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football: Examining contracts for new assistant coaches