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Kiffin signs a long term deal!

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At first it seemed like we wanted to change the deal to give him more money and a reason to stay after having arguably the best season in FAU football history so he didn't get poached away.

Changing the terms to 10 years without changing any of the other pieces (Salary, buyout) is basically pointless since it doesn't keep other teams away, doesn't give him more financial reason to stay and doesn't guarantee he'll actually be here the full 10 years.

I know you could argue that even if we up his salary to something like $3M and a buyout of $10M the P5 team would pay it anyway if they wanted him badly enough, but then again if that's true we're just spinning our wheels. He clearly deserves more money. He is clearly worth it. And for as much as we pay him, I think he's actually the SECOND-highest paid coach in the conference behind Littrell.

So now the extension just feels like a PR move right before Early Signing Day.

And I have to wonder if our low yield in the Early Signing period had something to do with the fact that recruits initially didn't really buy into it. I mean, look at some of the other conference members and the size of their classes - FIU had 20 commits sign and they're #1 in the conference right now, while we had 4.
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The "extension" sure seems like nothing but smoke and mirrors to get more publicity and attempt to drive early signees.  If so, as stated, it failed miserably.  Briles and Justice leaving, small early signing class where we still seem to be focused mostly on JuCos, no details about any real financials in the "10 year deal" all worry me.
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Owl2Doc said

At first it seemed like we wanted to change the deal to give him more money and a reason to stay after having arguably the best season in FAU football history so he didn't get poached away.

Changing the terms to 10 years without changing any of the other pieces (Salary, buyout) is basically pointless since it doesn't keep other teams away, doesn't give him more financial reason to stay and doesn't guarantee he'll actually be here the full 10 years.

I know you could argue that even if we up his salary to something like $3M and a buyout of $10M the P5 team would pay it anyway if they wanted him badly enough, but then again if that's true we're just spinning our wheels. He clearly deserves more money. He is clearly worth it. And for as much as we pay him, I think he's actually the SECOND-highest paid coach in the conference behind Littrell.

So now the extension just feels like a PR move right before Early Signing Day.

And I have to wonder if our low yield in the Early Signing period had something to do with the fact that recruits initially didn't really buy into it. I mean, look at some of the other conference members and the size of their classes - FIU had 20 commits sign and they're #1 in the conference right now, while we had 4.
Posted On: Jan 8th 2018, 6:24 PM #376205

I have said this, so many times and have it from close sources FAU focused on coaching and did not care for the early period. We are waiting for some of the top schools to push out some of the bottom kids in the class.
Just watch we will finish with a top three class again. There is almost a bit of arrogance( bad word) but I think Lane kinda knows he can clean up in the end. He is not going to blow his load and take home the chick he meets at 9:30
find the really how who is mad at he BF at 2AM
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LOL the extension being announced on the day we played our bowl game allowed us to dominate ESPN's airwaves all day, nobody cared about the Boca Raton Bowl, but I'm sure people were curious as to why he got a 10 year deal and tuned in.  Even after the game Kiffin said something to the effect of "We haven't figured out the money yet, we got the years that was the hard part the money will be easy".  With that being said, Kiffin wants to be Kiffin imo.  He could have easily made more money last year.  But the freedom to hire your family, speak your mind and be Joey Freshwater, that's hard to find
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Guys, all of this is genius – we are never going to pay a coach what p5 coaches make. Whatever raise we would ever hypothetically give Kiff would be chump change to a P5 who wants to poach him. He is doing a remarkable job marketing the school and the program – let's enjoy him while he is here and enjoy the ride.  As far as recruiting, he knows he can out recruit any coach in the conference. As stated above, he knows exactly what he's doing with signing day.
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d-owl said

Guys, all of this is genius – we are never going to pay a coach what p5 coaches make. Whatever raise we would ever hypothetically give Kiff would be chump change to a P5 who wants to poach him. He is doing a remarkable job marketing the school and the program – let's enjoy him while he is here and enjoy the ride.  As far as recruiting, he knows he can out recruit any coach in the conference. As stated above, he knows exactly what he's doing with signing day.
Posted On: Jan 8th 2018, 10:19 PM #376211

I am getting the feeling after this past season that Kiffin is the big swinging "d" fish that comes into our little CUSA pond and already knows how to play the recruiting game better than anyone.  Records aside, I think his persona owned the conference from day one and its almost not fair to the other teams having to compete with him ha ha.

FAU - We got Bowls!
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Still say FAU should up his and staffs pay in respect to what they did in one year AND UP the buyout big time KNOWING THE BIG TIME POWER 5 SCHOOLS HE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HIM WILL PAY IT IN A SECOND!  

Coach and staff benefit with new HIGH paying jobs and FAU benefits with a budget making deal!!! Surely Coach K would be for that!!!!!!!
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One thing I feel like a lot of us keep missing is that the buyout isn't to keep P5 schools from hiring Kiffin - they can all afford that in a heartbeat regardless of the buyout. I think the real reason for the buyout is to make it easier for us to turn around a hire a quality new HC without having to go hit up the donors for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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David Slavic said

One thing I feel like a lot of us keep missing is that the buyout isn't to keep P5 schools from hiring Kiffin - they can all afford that in a heartbeat regardless of the buyout. I think the real reason for the buyout is to make it easier for us to turn around a hire a quality new HC without having to go hit up the donors for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Posted On: Jan 9th 2018, 10:53 AM #376225

The donors dont pay our coaches salaries, the students do.

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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Based on the comments on lots of the threads, many believe FAU is poised to try and become at least a somewhat bigger football school.  At big-boy football schools, the donors pay the coaches (and their buyouts).  I am not naive enough to think FAU is anywhere close to that after 1 successful season and given our current financials, but the mentality should be more like David's post - the extensions negotiated for a G5 school should have buyouts totally based on how to fund hiring the next quality coach (and staff).  Build momentum and funds through success, and grow to being in a place where we have sponsors and donors with deep pockets so we can pay big-boy money and move to a bigger conference (that is not FAU's roadmap - that should be EVERY Group of 5 school's plan).  If we don't pay Kiffin and the staff more through this, and we don't include a stiffer buyout, the 10-year extension was nothing more than lip service to get attention for the bowl and signing day and is not something trying to better position FAU football than the agreement that was already in place.

Just my opinion - I am happy that it would appear we have Kiffin for 1 or 2 more years and the contract is not going to change that significantly EXCEPT for the buyout portion and what it means for the future.
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