Mike Krzyzewski received nearly $13.7 million in total compensation for 2020, his penultimate full calendar year as Duke’s men’s basketball coach, according to the university’s new federal tax returns.
The document — which the school provided in response to a request from USA TODAY Sports — shows that Krzyzewski received nearly $3.3 million in base salary, $2 million in bonus, just over $7.2 million in other reportable compensation and more than 1.1 million dollars in retirement and more. deferred compensation.
The total includes approximately $1.3 million reported as deferred pay on prior years’ returns, meaning his net compensation for 2020 was approximately $12.4 million.
That amount is the largest one-year pay for a college sports coach not tied to a purchase since USA TODAY Sports began tracking coaches’ salaries in 2006. Alabama soccer coach Nick Saban received $11.1 million in 2017, a sum that included a $4 million signature bonus dollars; That season, Saban added $500,000 in incentive bonuses to that total.
Krzyzewski retired after last season as the college basketball leader in wins and five NCAA championships.
more: Find out what men’s and women’s basketball coaches earn from Division I in our sortable database
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Duke is among a handful of public and private universities that earlier this year received a letter from Representative Bill Pascrell, DNJ, requesting information about their coaches’ salaries and raising questions about the suitability of athletics programs with the educational mission that would allow them to have tax-exempt status.
“The booing of Duke University sports teams is themselves one of the most popular recreational activities in America. But fans and opponents of the Blue Devils alike should be skeptical about how they can use federal tax credits to help pay more than $13 million for one season of work” to USA TODAY Sports. “We’re continuing our investigation into Congress and highlighting our coaching contracts and tax laws because Americans deserve to know if their hard-earned money is being used to support millionaire coaches.”
In each of the Duke’s four previous tax returns, Krzyzewski’s total salaries were reported between $7 million and $7.4 million, with $1.2 million to $1.3 million each year reported as deferred on prior years’ returns.
As a private school, Duke is not obligated to publicize its employment contracts. It was established as a private non-profit organization. Under IRS rules, these entities must report compensation data based on the completed calendar year during the fiscal year the return covers—in Duke’s case, the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.
Duke spokesman Michael Schoenefeld told USA TODAY Sports:
“Mike Krzyzewski is the most successful college basketball coach in history whose record and accomplishments of Coach K likely do not always match his strong commitment to sporting and academic success for Duke’s 42 years, and his extensive and influential service to the university, community and country.”
Referring to the $7.2 million in other reportable compensation reported in the previous year, Schoenefeld wrote: “This report includes a one-time payment for deferred compensation… which has accrued over prior years. It also includes compensation paid in 2020 But a previous (return) was also reported when due.”
Compensation for college coaches has recently drawn attention from some members of Congress. Paskrill announced in December that he had written letters to the presidents of LSU and USC raising questions about how athletics programs “further the educational purposes” for which schools earn tax-exempt status.
These letters came in the wake of the hiring of football coach at these two schools for Brian Kelly out of Notre Dame and Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma. Pascrell then sent similar letters, seeking written responses, from Michigan State, Miami, Stanford and Rutgers regarding compensation for football coaches.
In March, he sent letters regarding the salaries of men’s basketball coaches to Auburn, Villanova and Duke.
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