Texas approves raises for football coaches

During a Wednesday meeting of the UT System Board of Regents, three Texas Longhorns assistant coaches received raises.

After making $640,000 last year, offensive line coach Herb Hand will receive a $40,000 raise on his contract, which has two years left on it. Running backs coach Stan Drayton, who is also under contract until early 2022, saw his compensation bumped from $515,000 to $650,000. Strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight will make roughly $70,000 more in 2020 with a raise to $510,000.

New defensive line coach Mark Hagen’s two-year deal worth $550,000 to start also received approval from the regents.

The raises received increased scrutiny in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that has threatened the economic security of universities across the country — Texas took austerity measures last month that included the cancelation of merit-based raises for faculty and is looking for ways to save money across the board.

However, the athletic department does not receive money from the state and, in fact, provides revenue for academics due to the Longhorn Network contract.