Robby Hirst | Lariat Photographer
Sports Writer
Baylor Football is off to an historic 8-0 start and it doesn’t look like Baylor is ready to slow down any time soon. Despite the uncertainty around the Big 12, Baylor Head Coach Art Briles’ position at Baylor is cemented with a 10-year contract extension, which was approved by the regents Wednesday night.
The numbers of the new contract have not been disclosed, but under the previous deal, Briles was set to average $3.5 annually. In 2012, Briles made $2.4 million, which is a significant raise from the $1.5 million he made in 2010.
Prior to this extension, Briles was the 34th highest paid college coach, and the eight highest paid coach in the Big 12. Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban is the highest paid coach in college football at $5.5 million, but Texas Head Coach Mack Brown is right behind him making 5.4 million.
Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops makes $4.7 million, Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy makes $3.4 million, Gary Patterson, TCU Head Coach, makes $3.1 million, Kansas State Head Coach Bill Snyder makes $2.8 million, West Virginia Head Coach Dana Holgorsen makes $2.6 million and Kansas Head Coach Charlie Weis makes $2.5 million dollars.
When Briles arrived to Baylor, the program had suffered its 12th losing season in a row. After back-to-back 4-8 seasons, Briles’ revival began. In 2010 Baylor went to the Texas Bowl, its first bowll birth since 1994. The following year, Briles followed it with a 10-3 campaign propelling quarterback Robert Griffin III to become the first Baylor player to win the Heisman. In 2012, Baylor earned a 52-24 win over Kansas State and the Bears haven’t lost since.
Briles is the first head coach to take the Bears to three straight bowl games. Making the bowl is no longer a goal, but an expectation. With four more games left, Baylor hopes to go undefeated and get a BCS bowl berth.
