March Madness Cheque: Win Over TCU Bags Utah State Coach 5-Figure Bonus; Reaches Exorbitant $65,000 Mark

Utah MBB program is having a great season so far, and all the credits go to their new Head Coach Danny Sprinkle. Although Sprinkle was handed a team that was not as successful in the core, he has turned the tables completely. With the Aggies landing into the game of 32 for the first time in 23 years, the decorated coach too grabbed some things for himself. Apart from everyone’s respect and a team that will remember him for a long time to come, Sprinkle also has a whopping amount of $65,000 only in bonuses.

According to Steve Berkowitz, the Sports Projects Reporter and Editor at USA Today Sports, a significant portion of this comes from Utah State’s win over TCU. According to Berkowitz, the coach collected $20,000 for getting the team to the second round of the DI Men’s Basketball Tournament. Undeniably, he has done an amazing job with his roster to bag a win over the Horned-Frogs.

As the highest-paid coach in the program’s history so far, Danny Sprinkle has improved the win-loss percentage for the Aggies. It now stands at an all-time high of .818. In addition to this, the Naismith Coach of the Year semifinalist made another record for the largest March Madness victory in USU’s MBB program with a 16-point win over TCU.

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But what is the calculation for the $65,000 in incentive in just a single season?

How does the contract between Danny Sprinkle and USU look like?

Danny Sprinkle signed a five-year contract with USU. It clearly states the base contract, increments each year, and the conditions for bonuses. Apparently, the MWC Coach of the Year has fulfilled multiple roles in a single season. Let us look at a brief breakdown of his income from the Aggies. Sprinkle collects $900,000 as his base salary. His incentives so far include the following-

• Team wins the regular season Conference Championship: $15,000
• Team granted an at-large NCAA Tournament Bid: $20,000
• Team wins an NCAA Tournament Game: $20,000 (per game won, excluding the National Championship Game)
• Team is ranked (Associated Press Poll) at the end of a season in the Top 20: $25,000

The total sum of these comes down to an enormous $65,000. The Aggies won the regular season this year after 2019. Additionally, their loss to San Diego State in the MWC semifinals (86-70) made them rely on an at-large bid. They proficiently got the 8th seed in the Midwest region. Further, by winning their opening game against TCU (88-72) they advanced to the next level of the Big Dance. On top of that, the Aggies made it to the 18th rank in the AP Poll this year.

Danny Sprinkle has continuously proven that USU deserved some serious attention throughout this season. While it is only his very first season with the Aggies, it will be worthwhile what he does in his upcoming years with them. Until then, you can catch Utah State square off against Zach Edey’s first seed Purdue on 25 March 2024.

Do you think Danny Sprinkle can amass more incentives this season?

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