New contract likely makes Oklahoma State's Rob Glass highest paid strength coach in college football
Scott WrightOklahoman
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State football fans likely remember coach Mike Gundy’s “We’ve got a logo, too,” statement following the Cowboys’ rally to defeat Notre Dame 37-35 in the Fiesta Bowl last January.
Shortly after that now-famous moment, when Gundy met with the media, he made a more subtle statement, yet one that offered greater insight into his view of why the program has risen to such heights.
“The key to this game was Rob Glass, our strength staff, our conditioning,” Gundy said in his opening statement to reporters.
Within a month of that comment, Gundy backed up his words with a new contract for Glass that likely made him the highest paid strength and conditioning coach across college football, according to documents obtained by The Oklahoman and the USA Today Network.
The new contract, which went into effect on Feb. 1, is a five-year deal worth $1 million annually for Glass, whose official title is assistant athletic director of athletic performance.
Prior to Glass’ contract, the highest known yearly salary for a strength coach in college football was the $801,150 annual salary earned by Ohio State’s Mickey Mariotti last season. Mariotti was under a four-year contract set to expire on Jan. 31, 2023, though it has not been reported if Mariotti has received a new contract or raise since the end of the 2021 season.
Additionally, private universities are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, meaning they do not have to provide coaching contracts upon request, as is required by law of public universities.
So it’s unclear if other strength coaches — for instance, at a program like Notre Dame — are earning more than $1 million per year. But based on previously known salaries of coaches in the field, it seems unlikely anyone is earning as much as Glass.
As of Friday, there were only five known strength coaches making at least $700,000 per year — Glass, Mariotti, Florida’s Mark Hocke ($750,000), Michigan’s Ben Herbert ($700,000) and Alabama’s David Ballou ($700,000).
Gundy regularly saluted Glass and his staff following big wins last season and throughout his tenure. But with this five-year contract, Gundy made Glass the second-highest paid assistant on the Cowboy staff.
Defensive coordinator Derek Mason’s two-year contract pays him $1.1 million per year, while offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn’s three-year contract pays him $900,000 per year.
Glass is entering the 18th season of his second tenure at OSU.
A native of Newkirk and a graduate of OSU, he began his career first as a football graduate assistant on Pat Jones’ Cowboy staff in 1986. In 1989, he was named the head strength and conditioning coach, remaining in that role until he was hired at Florida in 1995.
He spent 10 seasons there, eventually returning to OSU when Gundy was promoted to head coach in 2005.
In all, Glass is beginning his 28th year with the Cowboys.
The day after the Fiesta Bowl victory, Gundy met with the media and discussed some of the issues OSU faced in its pursuit of becoming a regular among the top-tier programs in college football.
While he opted not to discuss specifics, he talked about the need for a greater financial investment in the program, and part of that was to be focused on pay raises for the coaches and support staff.
Every assistant coach, with the exception of Mason, who was hired in January, received a new contract and a raise.
Additionally, Gundy received a raise that made him the highest paid head coach in the Big 12 Conference. He will earn $7.46 million in 2022, including a $1 million stay bonus at the end of the year, with a $125,000 pay increase to kick in every year that he remains the head coach with his current perpetual, five-year rolling contract.
Mason, who was hired to replace former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles following Knowles’ departure for Ohio State in December, is the highest paid assistant coach in OSU history at $1.1 million per year.
“They have taken care of everybody in our building,” Gundy said in March, referencing the proactive approach of president Kayse Shrum and athletic director Chad Weiberg toward the football program and its staff. “I’m very pleased with the way they've handled the situation and diagnosed it to a point that will last for years to come.
“Between Dr. Shrum and Chad Weiberg, they've completely revamped our people that work in that football building financially. They've taken care of football and taken football to a level that with the exception of Oklahoma and Texas — which I don't know if we'll be in their category budget-wise in my lifetime, but a year or two from now they won't be in our league, so I don't have to worry about that — but for the most part, they've taken the staff and everybody in that building to a level financially that will be the tops in this league.”
According to Gundy, nearly 100 people work in the football offices, and all of them were impacted financially by the decision of Shrum and Weiberg, who on Friday celebrated the one-year mark in their respective jobs.
“When they make that commitment,” Gundy said, “they're showing that football is important, and it gives us a chance to play at a high level.”
OSU football coaching staff salaries
Here’s a look at the contract status of each OSU football assistant coach and Glass, not including potential bonuses:Strength coach Rob Glass: Five-year contract at $1 million per year.
Defensive coordinator Derek Mason: Two-year contract at $1.1 million per year.
Offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn: Three-year contract at $900,000 per year.
Linebackers coach Joe Bob Clements: Two-year contract at $600,000 per year.
Offensive line coach Charlie Dickey: Two-year contract at $600,000 per year.
Cornerbacks coach Tim Duffie: Two-year contract at $550,000 per year.
Safeties coach Dan Hammerschmidt: Two-year contract at $450,000 per year.
Tight ends coach Jason McEndoo: Two-year contract at $425,000 per year.
Running backs coach John Wozniak: Two-year contract at $425,000 per year.
Quarterbacks coach Tim Rattay: Two-year contract at $400,000 per year.
Defensive line coach Greg Richmond: Two-year contract at $350,000 per year.
