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Elko On Verge Of Possibly Huge 2025 Performance Bonus Payouts

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Pumpkinhead
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8:53a, 11/11/25
AG
Elko has some huge 2025 performance bonuses built into his current contract, such as:

- Appear in SEC Champ Game: $100,000
- Win SEC Champ Game: $1,500,000
- Make the playoffs: $1,000,000 bonus
- Make the playoff quarter finals: $1,500,000
- Make the playoff semi-finals: $2,000,000
- Make the National Championship Game: $2,500,000
- Win the National Championship Game: $3,500,000

- I think the guy has already locked up $1,000,000 extra cause will make playoffs but damn! Look at all that extra cash still on the table.
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ElephantRider
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8:56a, 11/11/25
AG
And it would be worth every penny
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FDT 1999
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8:56a, 11/11/25
AG
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.
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Stmichael
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8:56a, 11/11/25
AG
These bonuses ramp up real damn quick. 100k for making the SEC title game means having a great regular season which has 12 games. Then winning one more, the SEC championship game, jumps that by a factor of 10.
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Pumpkinhead
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In reply to FDT 1999 • 8:58a, 11/11/25
AG
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.


Ah, okay if true. I also read if he makes any of the above bonuses then his contract is auto-extended another year.
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StinkyPinky
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In reply to FDT 1999 • 9:00a, 11/11/25
AG
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.
This. He only receives the biggest milestone achieved
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VIR-Ag
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In reply to FDT 1999 • 9:03a, 11/11/25
AG
Correct.
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Pumpkinhead
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In reply to StinkyPinky • 9:03a, 11/11/25
AG
StinkyPinky said:
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.
This. He only receives the biggest milestone achieved


So hypothetically let's say he goes 4-0 in next for games winning SEC title and making playoff quarter finals with bye: that would be $1,500,000 for the SEC title goal and $1,500,000 for reaching that playoff goal, correct? So $3,000,000 in bonuses earned at that point? With another $2,000,000 possible depending on length of playoff run?
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pdg88
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9:10a, 11/11/25
AG
My understanding (although I could be wrong) is that the "Post-Season Incentives" below are *not* cumulative. However, they were written whenever winning the SEC Championship automatically meant you would start in the CFP quarterfinals, which is why those are combined into one line. The smaller "Other Incentive Compensation" would be in addition to whatever he earns in the "Post-Season Incentives"


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'03ag
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In reply to FDT 1999 • 9:14a, 11/11/25
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.

I think this is correct. And in that case, my opinion is they aren't large enough.
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07ag
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9:17a, 11/11/25
AG
per tamu news release in 2023, incentives are capped at 3.5 million

https://news.tamus.edu/regents-authorize-contract-terms-for-coach-mike-elko/
https://ts.la/eric59704
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A. G. Pennypacker
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In reply to '03ag • 9:20a, 11/11/25
AG
'03ag said:
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.

I think this is correct. And in that case, my opinion is they aren't large enough.

I have also heard it's cumulative. If his base is $7 mill and he wins it all, he makes $10.5 mil. That would make him the 6th highest paid college coach according to the list I found (see below).

I'm OK with a lower base, but in my opinion, if he wins it all, as difficult as that is and as rare as it has been at A&M, the incentives should make him significantly more than any other college coach - like $15 mil +.

  • Kirby Smart (Georgia): ~$13,282,580
  • Ryan Day (Ohio State): ~$12,575,000
  • Lincoln Riley (USC): ~$11,537,560
  • Dabo Swinney (Clemson): ~$11,447,025
  • Steve Sarkisian (Texas): ~$10,800,000
  • Dan Lanning (Oregon): ~$10,400,000
  • Kalen DeBoer (Alabama): ~$10,250,000
  • Brian Kelly (LSU): ~$10,175,000
  • Bill Belichick (North Carolina): ~$10,100,000
Note - James Franklin was making $8.5 mil at PSU. Since everyone seems to think that Elko is their number 1 target.
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TexAgs23
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In reply to FDT 1999 • 9:25a, 11/11/25
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.

Performance bonuses... That's how EVERY contract should be written! If they produce a good product, they get paid accordingly.
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Aston 91
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In reply to A. G. Pennypacker • 9:30a, 11/11/25
AG
A. G. Pennypacker said:
  • Kirby Smart (Georgia): ~$13,282,580
  • Ryan Day (Ohio State): ~$12,575,000
  • Lincoln Riley (USC): ~$11,537,560
  • Dabo Swinney (Clemson): ~$11,447,025
  • Steve Sarkisian (Texas): ~$10,800,000
  • Dan Lanning (Oregon): ~$10,400,000
  • Kalen DeBoer (Alabama): ~$10,250,000
  • Brian Kelly (LSU): ~$10,175,000
  • Bill Belichick (North Carolina): ~$10,100,000

If my memory is correct only 3 of the top 9 have won a National Championship, and one of those (Dabo) looks like he's been left behind in the NIL game. So there are a lot of schools paying $10+ million for not a lot of results so far.
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'03ag
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In reply to A. G. Pennypacker • 9:45a, 11/11/25
A. G. Pennypacker said:
'03ag said:
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.

I think this is correct. And in that case, my opinion is they aren't large enough.

I have also heard it's cumulative. If his base is $7 mill and he wins it all, he makes $10.5 mil. That would make him the 6th highest paid college coach according to the list I found (see below).

I'm OK with a lower base, but in my opinion, if he wins it all, as difficult as that is and as rare as it has been at A&M, the incentives should make him significantly more than any other college coach - like $15 mil +.

  • Kirby Smart (Georgia): ~$13,282,580
  • Ryan Day (Ohio State): ~$12,575,000
  • Lincoln Riley (USC): ~$11,537,560
  • Dabo Swinney (Clemson): ~$11,447,025
  • Steve Sarkisian (Texas): ~$10,800,000
  • Dan Lanning (Oregon): ~$10,400,000
  • Kalen DeBoer (Alabama): ~$10,250,000
  • Brian Kelly (LSU): ~$10,175,000
  • Bill Belichick (North Carolina): ~$10,100,000
Note - James Franklin was making $8.5 mil at PSU. Since everyone seems to think that Elko is their number 1 target.

That's right where I was at. When you're talking about single year incentives a title should be massive. Hell why not even make that the wording of the contract. You win the title, you make whatever the highest paid coach in CFB makes, plus a million.
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PeekingDuck
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9:52a, 11/11/25
AG
I have a feeling that if he wins the national championship, we're gonna take care of him.
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TyperWoods
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9:55a, 11/11/25
If he wins the NC, I'm for giving him a bonus on top of his incentive bonuses.
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Pichael Thompson
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10:04a, 11/11/25
Keep the bonuses in place & give him 12/yr for 5 years

Contract extends another yr every season he wins 9 games or more

Buyout is 75% of remaining salary

So say he has 2 awful years & you want to part ways your paying out 27 million instead of 75



The killer in these contracts isn't the annual salary it's the decade long guarantee
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AgLA06
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In reply to Aston 91 • 10:07a, 11/11/25
AG
Aston 91 said:
A. G. Pennypacker said:
  • Kirby Smart (Georgia): ~$13,282,580
  • Ryan Day (Ohio State): ~$12,575,000
  • Lincoln Riley (USC): ~$11,537,560
  • Dabo Swinney (Clemson): ~$11,447,025
  • Steve Sarkisian (Texas): ~$10,800,000
  • Dan Lanning (Oregon): ~$10,400,000
  • Kalen DeBoer (Alabama): ~$10,250,000
  • Brian Kelly (LSU): ~$10,175,000
  • Bill Belichick (North Carolina): ~$10,100,000

If my memory is correct only 3 of the top 9 have won a National Championship, and one of those (Dabo) looks like he's been left behind in the NIL game. So there are a lot of schools paying $10+ million for not a lot of results so far.


They're paying to retain what they believe is a top 15 coach in expectation of having a perennial top 15 team that brings them exponentially more money and notoriety than the salary paid. Whether the coach fulfills their obligations is up to the school.
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AggieUSMC
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10:09a, 11/11/25
AG
This is how every contract should be drawn up. You get paid for what you produce on the field, not for your reputation.

And I despise guaranteed contracts. There are no guarantees in football. Athletics at this level is very much a "what have you done for me lately" business.
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crackeryack
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10:15a, 11/11/25
His base is $7M plus winning a national championship is another $3.5M. That's $10.5M. Sark makes more than that with his base salary. This program is headed in the right direction. Time to pay the man.
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RogerFurlong
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10:16a, 11/11/25
Lincoln Riley making more than Bill Belichick and Dabo is hilarious.
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#Mke
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10:17a, 11/11/25
AG
Love the incentive-based contract!!!
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ElephantRider
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In reply to RogerFurlong • 10:23a, 11/11/25
AG
RogerFurlong said:
Lincoln Riley making more than Bill Belichick and Dabo is hilarious.

Sometimes I forget that Lincoln Riley is still coaching.
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No Spin Ag
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In reply to '03ag • 10:26a, 11/11/25
'03ag said:
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.

I think this is correct. And in that case, my opinion is they aren't large enough.

This.

Elko has done more for the team and the image of them AND the school than any coach in recent memory.

Pay the man.
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Fatboy Thaddeus
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10:26a, 11/11/25
We should just intentionally negotiate in variable offsets for short-term bargaining leverage that will fluctuate season-by-season with our team's relative performance as well as which jobs come open. Putting down some arcane set of rules >>> setting some immutable 10-year-long buyout.
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agnerd
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In reply to RogerFurlong • 10:29a, 11/11/25
AG
RogerFurlong said:
Lincoln Riley making more than Bill Belichick and Dabo is hilarious.

After California taxes, he's below Dabo and about even with Bellichick.
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Davidtheag
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In reply to A. G. Pennypacker • 10:37a, 11/11/25
AG
A. G. Pennypacker said:
'03ag said:
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.

I think this is correct. And in that case, my opinion is they aren't large enough.

I have also heard it's cumulative. If his base is $7 mill and he wins it all, he makes $10.5 mil. That would make him the 6th highest paid college coach according to the list I found (see below).

I'm OK with a lower base, but in my opinion, if he wins it all, as difficult as that is and as rare as it has been at A&M, the incentives should make him significantly more than any other college coach - like $15 mil +.

  • Kirby Smart (Georgia): ~$13,282,580
  • Ryan Day (Ohio State): ~$12,575,000
  • Lincoln Riley (USC): ~$11,537,560
  • Dabo Swinney (Clemson): ~$11,447,025
  • Steve Sarkisian (Texas): ~$10,800,000
  • Dan Lanning (Oregon): ~$10,400,000
  • Kalen DeBoer (Alabama): ~$10,250,000
  • Brian Kelly (LSU): ~$10,175,000
  • Bill Belichick (North Carolina): ~$10,100,000
Note - James Franklin was making $8.5 mil at PSU. Since everyone seems to think that Elko is their number 1 target.

IF he wins the National Championship, there's no doubt that we'll renegotiate his base salary to something higher or we run the risk of some other school trying to poach him. That's exactly what we did with Bear Bryant, Jackie Sherril, Dennis Franchione, Kevin Sumlin, and of course, Jimbo Fisher.

Yeah, $7mil a year till January of 2030, everything else is incentive based capped at $3.5 million every time he wins a national championship, and the contract is extended one year for every college football playoff appearance, but if he's successful he's going to want a higher base salary eventually.
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Commander-In-Beef
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In reply to RogerFurlong • 10:45a, 11/11/25
AG
CA state tax rate on income > $1M, evens it all out and then some.
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akm91
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In reply to Aston 91 • 10:46a, 11/11/25
AG
Aston 91 said:
A. G. Pennypacker said:
  • Kirby Smart (Georgia): ~$13,282,580
  • Ryan Day (Ohio State): ~$12,575,000
  • Lincoln Riley (USC): ~$11,537,560
  • Dabo Swinney (Clemson): ~$11,447,025
  • Steve Sarkisian (Texas): ~$10,800,000
  • Dan Lanning (Oregon): ~$10,400,000
  • Kalen DeBoer (Alabama): ~$10,250,000
  • Brian Kelly (LSU): ~$10,175,000
  • Bill Belichick (North Carolina): ~$10,100,000

If my memory is correct only 3 of the top 9 have won a National Championship, and one of those (Dabo) looks like he's been left behind in the NIL game. So there are a lot of schools paying $10+ million for not a lot of results so far.

Well there are only 3 active coaches that have won the National Championship.

Are they really overpaid as they've gotten their teams into the CFP, with the exception of Belicheck?
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LB12Diamond
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10:48a, 11/11/25
AG
So much nicer to pay coaches for accomplishments than to leave.
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Kenneth_2003
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In reply to Pumpkinhead • 10:49a, 11/11/25
AG
Pumpkinhead said:
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.


Ah, okay if true. I also read if he makes any of the above bonuses then his contract is auto-extended another year.


This is the true beauty of his contract. In the NIL era we don't need super long contracts. You'll know in a year or two (like we're seeing) if a coach is going to work out. We didn't need 32 years to get our recruits on campus and another 2 years to develop those guys and maybe another year or two to build depth.

Short context, get it done, and the tacking a year back on the end keeps the replacement costs manageable, but also puts some buyout cost in place for poachers.
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AggieZUUL
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In reply to TexAgs23 • 10:50a, 11/11/25
AG
TexAgs23 said:
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.

Performance bonuses... That's how EVERY contract should be written! If they produce a good product, they get paid accordingly.


just ask Ricky Williams!!
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ABATTBQ11
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In reply to Davidtheag • 11:10a, 11/11/25
AG
Davidtheag said:
A. G. Pennypacker said:
'03ag said:
FDT 1999 said:
My understanding is the bonuses aren't cumulative. If he wins it all, he gets an extra $3.5….not every bonus.

I think this is correct. And in that case, my opinion is they aren't large enough.

I have also heard it's cumulative. If his base is $7 mill and he wins it all, he makes $10.5 mil. That would make him the 6th highest paid college coach according to the list I found (see below).

I'm OK with a lower base, but in my opinion, if he wins it all, as difficult as that is and as rare as it has been at A&M, the incentives should make him significantly more than any other college coach - like $15 mil +.

  • Kirby Smart (Georgia): ~$13,282,580
  • Ryan Day (Ohio State): ~$12,575,000
  • Lincoln Riley (USC): ~$11,537,560
  • Dabo Swinney (Clemson): ~$11,447,025
  • Steve Sarkisian (Texas): ~$10,800,000
  • Dan Lanning (Oregon): ~$10,400,000
  • Kalen DeBoer (Alabama): ~$10,250,000
  • Brian Kelly (LSU): ~$10,175,000
  • Bill Belichick (North Carolina): ~$10,100,000
Note - James Franklin was making $8.5 mil at PSU. Since everyone seems to think that Elko is their number 1 target.

IF he wins the National Championship, there's no doubt that we'll renegotiate his base salary to something higher or we run the risk of some other school trying to poach him. That's exactly what we did with Bear Bryant, Jackie Sherril, Dennis Franchione, Kevin Sumlin, and of course, Jimbo Fisher.

Yeah, $7mil a year till January of 2030, everything else is incentive based capped at $3.5 million every time he wins a national championship, and the contract is extended one year for every college football playoff appearance, but if he's successful he's going to want a higher base salary eventually.


Higher base salary and higher buyout for leaving early. Right not it's only $5 million IIRC. That's peanuts for anyone looking to hire him away at this point.
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Teslag
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In reply to AggieUSMC • 11:20a, 11/11/25
AG
AggieUSMC said:
This is how every contract should be drawn up. You get paid for what you produce on the field, not for your reputation.

And I despise guaranteed contracts. There are no guarantees in football. Athletics at this level is very much a "what have you done for me lately" business.


Well don't get used of it. He's more than likely about to get a deal in the $12 million / year range with most of it guaranteed. That's the market and that's what we will pay.
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