BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football defensive coordinator Bryant Haines‘ new contract will make him one of the highest paid coordinators in the country.
Haines signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with IU on Jan. 21 with a starting salary of $2 million a year through the 2027 season, per a copy of the agreement provided to The Herald-Times in response to an open records request.
According to the USA Today assistant coaches salary database, there were only nine assistants in the country last year that made $2 million or more and one of those coaches (Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly) has moved on to the NFL.
The only Big Ten coordinators known to be making more than $2 million a year are Wink Martindale at Michigan and Jim Knowles at Penn State.
Haines got a new deal on top of the one he received in December that would have given him a $625,000 raise from his starting salary when blue bloods started “knocking at the door” as head coach Curt Cignetti told reporters on national signing day.
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The latest MOU adds $200,000 a year on top of that amount.
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“When you’re successful and you win and you’re a coordinator and your side of the ball excels — I think we’re number one in the country against the run, number two in total defense, we’re number one in Big Ten in other categories — he’s done a great job for me,” Cignetti said. “I think he just completed his third year as coordinator. He’s been with me 11 or 12 years — people are going to come after him.”
He will make a base salary of $450,000 a year for the length of the contract with outside marketing and promotional income of $1.55 million in the first year, $1.65 million in year two and $1.75 in year three. He will also have an annual retention bonus of $75,000 on Jan. 31 and July 31.
Haines, who was the program’s first ever assistant to make more than $1 million a year, can also earn various performance bonuses including $150,000 if IU finishes in the top third of the Big Ten in fewest points allowed on average per game or fewest yards allowed on average per game.
The new MOU Haines signed also increased his buyout for the first year of his deal to 100% of his remaining annual compensation and decreases in subsequent years.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
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