What will Ole Miss’ football assistants be paid in 2018?

Published 6:00 am Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The newest additions to Ole Miss’ coaching staff are on multi-year contracts while one of the Rebels’ assistants will receive a significant raise in 2018.

Charles Clark, who will help coach the Rebels’ secondary, and linebackers coach Jon Sumrall are on two-year deals that will pay each of them $350,000 next season, according to contract figures obtained by the EAGLE through an open-records request. Clark, the former Ole Miss defensive back who spent last season coaching Oregon’s cornerbacks, was hired as the Rebels’ 10th on-field assistant in January while Sumrall came from Troy to replace Bradley Dale Peveto, who took a job on Jimbo Fisher’s staff at Texas A&M last month.

Clark’s salary will increase to $375,000 in the second year of his deal.

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Meanwhile, defensive line coach Freddie Roach will make $500,000 next season as part of a new three-year contract — an increase of $175,000 from the base salary he made last season in his first year on staff — with a hefty buyout clause in the first year of the deal. Should Roach leave for another on-field assistant position before Dec. 1, he’d be on the hook for one year’s worth of salary.

Roach’s buyout drops to $125,000 if he leaves any time between Dec. 2 and Dec. 1, 2019. Clark and Sumrall would each owe $125,000 or one-fourth of their salary remaining on their contract, whichever is less.

Receivers coach Jacob Peeler, who’s on a one-year deal, will make $425,000 next season after making $375,000 last season.

Defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff and offensive coordinator Phil Longo each had their original contracts extended by a year. McGriff is on a three-year contract that will pay him $1.1 million next season while Longo will make $700,000 next season in the first of a two-year deal.

McGriff’s contract calls for a buyout of $250,000 or one-fourth of the remaining salary on his deal, whichever is less. Longo’s buyout is $125,000 or one-fourth of the salary left on his contract, whichever is less.

The buyouts for McGriff and Longo would become void if either was hired as a college head coach or NFL assistant. Those jobs as well as a coordinator position in college would negate any position coach’s buyout.

Running backs coach Derrick Nix, tight ends coach Maurice Harris and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. are on one-year contracts that will pay them $400,000 each next season. Bicknell made $150,000 from August to December last season.

Cornerbacks coach Jason Jones will also make $400,000 next season in the second year of a two-year contract.

Head coach Matt Luke, who had the interim tag removed in November, is entering the first year of a four-year contract that will pay him $3 million next season and increase by $100,000 each year after that for the duration of his contract. Luke will also receive $150,000 for each Power-Five win during the regular season, $150,000 for each SEC win starting with the third one each season and a $250,000 bonus if Ole Miss plays in a New Year’s Six bowl game (Sugar, Rose, Orange, Cotton, Fiesta or Peach).