Is Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford underpaid? Compare his resume and rank in Mountain West
Fresno State football under coach Jeff Tedford is 25-9, has made two appearances in the Mountain West Conference title game and last season won the championship with an overtime victory on the road at Boise State. The Bulldogs have victories in the Hawaii Bowl against Houston and the Las Vegas Bowl against Arizona State, their first bowl wins since 2007.
This season they are 3-3, 1-1 in the Mountain West, again are in control of their fate in the West Division race and have a chance to play the conference championship game for a third year in a row.
But according to the USA Today database of FBS coaching salaries released on Tuesday, the Bulldogs’ coach is only the fourth-highest paid coach in the conference.
Is Fresno State underpaying its football coach?
The two highest-paid coaches in the Mountain West are Wyoming’s Craig Bohl ($2.137 million) and Colorado State’s Mike Bobo ($1.8 million).
Wyoming last season went 6-6, though it’s off to a 5-2 start this season. Colorado State went 3-9 a year ago and will visit Bulldog Stadium on Saturday stumbling again at 2-5.
Neither played in a bowl game last season.
Boise State coach Bryan Harsin is the third-highest paid coach in the conference, making $1.75 million.
Tedford in 2019 will be paid $1,615,420, but through a stunning package of performance bonuses has significantly boosted total compensation the past two years.
The Bulldogs coach has $2,765,000 available through bonuses, which is the fourth-highest in the nation behind three Power Five conference coaches – Arizona State coach Herm Edwards has $3,967,500 available in bonuses, Mississippi coach Matt Luke has $3,050,000 available and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has $2,875,000.
Tedford, according to USA Today, racked up $1,265,000 through performance bonuses last season and $1,240,000 in 2017.
Mountain West comparison
Coaching salaries in the Mountain West with available bonuses, according to USA Today:
Craig Bohl (Wyoming) $2,137,000; $450,000
Mike Bobo (Colorado State) $1,800,000; $905,000
Bryan Harsin (Boise State) $1,750,000; $1,185,0000
Jeff Tedford (Fresno State) $1,615,420; $2,765,000
Gary Andersen (Utah State) $900,000; $480,000
Rocky Long (San Diego State) $879,228; $720,000
Bob Davie (New Mexico) $823,740; $340,000
Tony Sanchez (UNLV) $602,000; $260,000
Nick Rolovich (Hawaii) $600,004; $1,287,500
Brent Brennan (San Jose State) $599,184; $210,000
Jay Norvell (Nevada) $500,000; $210,000
Troy Calhoun (Air Force) unavailable