Bone contract attracts criticism

The disclosure of the financial terms stated in Washington State University’s contract with Ken Bone, the new men’s basketball coach, last Wednesday aroused a variety of opinions across campus.

As the university faces widespread departmental cuts and students are burdened with increasing tuition costs, some students felt the contract was slightly excessive. According to the seven-year contract, Bone will be guaranteed $650,000 for his first season and $100,000 increases in “supplemental compensation” for the two subsequent seasons, plus benefits.

Bone’s contract places him in the lowest-paid tier of Pac-10 men’s basketball coaches. Tony Bennett, Bone’s predecessor, earned upwards of $1 million during his final year, including incentives. Other Pac-10 head coaches such as University of Arizona coach Sean Miller reportedly signed a $2 million contract, while University of California Los Angeles coach Ben Howland made approximately $1.8 million last season, according to The Seattle Times.

A number of students felt the lucrative contract highlighted the university’s priorities, placing athletics over academics. “It is ridiculous to the see the amount of money being spent by the athletic department,” sophomore Ann L. Hoag said. “They spend so much money.”

Other students felt the contract was appropriate despite the university’s current economic hardships. Senior Bryan A. Wagoner, a social sciences major, said, “Getting a good coach is a priority because sports bring so much growth to the university.” Men’s basketball was the only quality outlet for sports fans this year in Pullman, Wagoner added.

Despite the debates surrounding the contract, students unanimously agreed that Bone has some large shoes to fill. Bennett posted a 69-33 record and led the Cougars to three postseason births during his three seasons as head coach before departing Pullman in April for the University of Virginia.

Some discontent surrounding Bennett’s departure lingered, but students seemed mostly satisfied with the selection of Bone as head coach. “Bone is a proven coach,” said Wagoner. “He took a mediocre team at Portland State and made them winners.”

According to reports by The Daily Evergreen following Bone’s hiring, many of the players expressed approval with the university’s hasty search for a replacement. Senior forward Nikola Koprivica told The Daily Evergreen that the team knew the university was searching for the best candidate and that they made a fine decision.

Discussing Bone’s contract, sophomore guard Nicholas M. Witherill said, “It is quite a lot of money, but it is a good investment for the university.” As for some of the contract’s perks that have drawn scorn from critics, such as a $100,000 bonus for every Final Four appearance, Witherill said the bonus would be appropriate because a Final Four appearance helps attract recruits and builds a strong program.

Commenting on the university’s budget cuts in The Daily Evergreen, WSU Athletics Director Jim Sterk said the athletic department has taken measures to curb expenses in its $30 million dollar annual budget. The department, which has the smallest budget of any Pac-10 school, is beginning to feel the strain of the economy. Preliminary budget cuts announced earlier this month by the university will reduce the department’s budget by $350,000 over the next two years, further reducing their ability to hire new coaches.