The numbers are out and Penn State coach Joe Paterno will make $512,664 this year. No, we didn't miss a number there. The guy is taking in 12.5% of Nick Saban's salary at Alabama, or closer to home 25% of Jim Tressel's salary at Ohio State (which is probably fitting, we're about 1/4^th as good as Ohio State). Not sure how everyone else is taking it, but frankly we're shocked. We figured he'd be making around $2 million.

As Run Up The Score points out, the $512,664 figure that we're seeing is "just the raw salary, before endorsements and other sweeteners." The Collegian confirms that,  saying that figure does not include "money from television and apparel contracts as well as other bonuses that Paterno and other Division I-A coaches may earn." Those "sweeteners" will not be released by the University.
Still pretty shocking in our opinion. 


To put in in perspective (relative to Penn State), Graham Spanier made a base salary of $545,016 for the 2006-2007 academic year. So, JoePa is making LESS than Spanier!

This only reiterates our point that it's going to be very difficult for the University to bring in a top coach when Paterno finally steps off the sidelines. With major college coaches earning $2 million and up, will the University be willing to take that next step?

Of course they will, they'll just raise our tuition again.