(07-05-2020 10:38 PM)JHG722 Wrote: (07-04-2020 12:14 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote: (07-04-2020 01:26 AM)JHG722 Wrote: (07-02-2020 12:28 PM)Side Show Joe Wrote: (07-02-2020 12:20 PM)ESE84 Wrote: Nice. Did a big donor help make this happen?
That would be my guess. Maybe Wren backtracked on the luxury trip position because the Diamond Head is a big televised on the ESPN channels.
He's auditioning for the Temple AD position
Ha! I'm sure he would be flattered if Temple offered, but UNT has done an outstanding job of developing resources for our athletic department, and that includes salaries. At this point, I doubt Baker would leave for another G5 position. He has his eyes on bigger opportunities. I think the only way Wren becomes an AD in the AAC is if the conference invited North Texas. And we all know that probably isn't in the cards.
We paid our previous AD almost $700K in 2020 dollars. I think we could double Baker's salary pretty easily. I think most people would be at least intrigued by someone offering to double their salary.
Last season I made a comment on the AAC board that North Texas was spending in the range of AAC programs, when it came to coaches salaries. I got a lot of push-back from fans on that board. But, it was the truth. In the last 8 years, North Texas has doubled our athletic budget from around $20million to just over $40million. And, we did it while our conference payout has steadily declined.
Our university leadership has placed a priority on improving our athletics. Even during the COVID-19/economic slowdown, UNT is building facilities (athletic center expansion, softball complex renovation, new golf practice facility), and we have yet to furlough staff, or asked our employees to take pay cuts.
While other programs around the country are dropping out of events we are adding quality events for our student athletes. (I hope we get matched up to play Temple in the Diamond Head).
Baker made $450,000 in 2018, when he got an extension and raise. I believe he also earns an annual pay bump of $25K. So, he should be earning $500,000 in 2020. That is only $200K less than Temple's AD was making before he bolted for BC. If Temple made a play for Baker, I feel confident UNT's big money boosters would step up and cover the cost of retaining him. We know the value of what we have in Wren Baker.
UNT Regent, G. Brent Ryan, owns the largest corporate Tax service in the world. His company IS the main sponsor of C-USA. If you go to the C-USA website, his logo is opposite the C-USA logo in the header. I think Ryan and the rest of the North Texas leadership have successfully insulated our staff and head coaches from being poached by other G5 programs. I could be wrong about this, but I doubt it.