Bison football program has biggest salary pool for coaches among ND colleges

FARGO — Among the programs at the state's two NCAA Division I universities, North Dakota State football has the largest pool of money for its coaching staff, but its average salary per coach doesn't come close to that of North Dakota's hockey program.

NDSU paid its 11-person football coaching staff a total of $1.335 million through the first 11 months of 2021, according to records obtained by Forum News Service and published last month .

UND's hockey program, with a three-person staff, collected $1.088 million in salary through November in 2021.

That puts UND hockey's average salary at $362,520 per coach and NDSU football's average at $121,418.

Fighting Hawks head coach Brad Berry is the highest-paid college coach in the state, and the second highest-paid state employee, pulling in $578,781 through the first 11 months of 2021. Associate head coach Dane Jackson made $269,987 and goalie coach Karl Goehring made $238,793.

Football head coach Matt Entz is NDSU's highest-paid employee at $396,619. Four of his assistants make more than $100,000, topped by offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl at $131,527.

The only other program at NDSU or UND in which coaches average more than $100,000 a year is Bison men's basketball, whose four coaches make an average of $120,749. That's topped by head coach Dave Richman's $252,305 and top assistant Kyan Brown's $91,484.

In all, 14 coaches at NDSU and UND make more than $100,000 a year in base salary — eight at NDSU, six at UND. No salary information was available for Fighting Hawks volleyball coach Jesse Tupac, who was hired in December. Bison volleyball coach Jen Lopez made $103,056 through the first 11 months of 2021.

Bison wrestling coach Roger Kish made $85,703 in base salary plus a $20,000 bonus for a total of $105,703.

NDSU athletic director Matt Larsen said the Bison's salaries are competitive with other Football Championship Subdivision and mid-major peer programs.

"I don't think we always have to be the highest-paid coaches," Larsen said. "You can come here and win because of our facilities, infrastructure, support and other things. People care, on-campus and in the community. That matters. People care."

UND athletic director Bill Chaves said his department monitors all the leagues in which the Fighting Hawks compete — the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, the Summit League and the Missouri Valley Football Conference — and want to have head coaches at the median salary or above.

"That would be our goal. It doesn't happen overnight," Chaves said. "Given the fact we're still evolving from our Division II days, we're really still a teenager in that regard, we're trying to continually evolve into where we want to be. We want to be at or above that 50% mark and eventually you want to be in the upper reaches of the conferences. That allows you to attract great coaches and to retain great coaches."

Here are the 2021 salaries for coaches at NDSU and UND, through November:

—Matt Entz, head coach, $396,620

—Randy Hedberg, associate head coach/passing game coordinator/QBs, $104,460

—Tyler Roehl, offensive coordinator/tight ends/fullbacks, $131,527

—David Braun, defensive coordinator/safeties, $124,366

—Nick Goeser, special teams coordinator/defensive tackles, $89,516

—Joe Beschorner, running backs, $94,310

—Dan Larson, offensive line, $101,184

—Kody Morgan, cornerbacks, $65,879

—Grant Olson, linebackers, $69,823

—Noah Pauley, wide receivers, $81,029

—Buddha Williams, defensive ends, $76,885

—David Richman, head coach, $247,305 (plus $5,000 bonus)

—Kyan Brown, associate head coach, $91,485

—Joshua Jones, assistant coach, $62,955

—Josh Sash, assistant coach, $76,251

—Jory Collins, head coach, $161,953

—Dylan Geissert, assistant coach, $60,397

—Brooke Costley, assistant coach, $51,251

—Sandra Abston, assistant coach, $27,000 (joined NDSU in May 2021)

—Tyler Oakes, head coach baseball, $62,349 (named head coach in June 2021)

—Stevie Keller, director of track and field/cross country (men's and women's), $102,031

—Steve Kennedy, head coach golf, $51,096

—Roger Kish, head coach wrestling, $85,703 (plus $20,000 bonus)

—Matt Johnson, head coach golf, $51,584

—Mike Regan, head coach soccer, $82,155

—Darren Mueller, head coach softball, $96,787

—Jen Lopez, head coach volleyball, $103,056

—Brad Berry, head coach, $578, 781

—Dane Jackson, associate head coach, $269,987

—Karl Goehring, assistant coach, $238,793

—Bubba Schweigert, head coach, $248,096

—Danny Freund, offensive coordinator/QBs, $80,385

—Brett Holinka, defensive coordinator/linebackers, $81,517

—Shawn Kostich, special teams coordinator/tight ends/fullbacks, $61,244

—Austin Flyger, defensive line, $56,995

—Sam King, wide receivers, $44,948

—Joe Pawlak, offensive line, $58,022

—Robbie Rouse, running backs/pro scout liasion, $43,080

—Travis Stepps, defensive backs, $55,409

—Joel Schwenzfeier, safeties/recruiting coordinator, $55,409

—Carl Reinholz, video coordinator/inside linebackers/safeties, $55,150

—Paul Sather, head coach, $187,460

—Jamie Stevens, assistant coach, $85,581

—Zach Horstman, assistant coach, $57,394

—Steven Aldridge, assistant coach, $33,482

—Mallory Bernhard, head coach, $146,214

—John Motherwell, associated head coach, $58,212

—Adam Marso, assistant coach, $39,232

—Nkwane Young, assistant coach, $53,939

—Jim Vahrenkamp, head coach track and cross country, $23,060 (joined UND in September 2021)

—Todd Schaefer, head coach golf, $38,218

—Tom Boysen, head coach tennis (men's and women's), $22,600

—Travis Amendt, head coach golf, $18,900

—Chris Logan, head coach soccer, $84,627

—Jesse Tupac, head coach volleyball, N/A (joined UND in December 2021)

—Jordan Stevens, head coach softball, $69,222