Pay will spike for new Charlotte 49ers AD, basketball coach, contracts show

The Charlotte 49ers’ new athletics director and men’s basketball coach will be earning substantially more than their predecessors, according to documents obtained by the Observer.

Basketball coach Ron Sanchez, who was hired in March, has a five-year contract worth $650,000 per year ($450,000 through university funds and a $200,000 in “supplemental salary,” coming from non-university and state- funds). That’s a 30 percent increase over the $500,000 salary former Mark Price was earning before he was fired in December.

Hill, who was hired in February, has a five-year contract at $400,000 per year ($250,000 through university funds and $150,000 supplemental). Outgoing athletics director Judy Rose, who will retire June 30, worked without a contract and earned $300,000 per year.

Sanchez’s deal, as is the case in most Division I coaches’ contracts, is also laden with financial incentives:

• $45,000 for making the NCAA tournament;
  
  
• $10,000 for winning the Conference USA regular-season championship;
  
  
• $10,000 for winning the Conference USA tournament;
  
  
• $10,000 for winning Conference USA coach of the year;
  
  
• $5,000 per game for playing up to two home games (or games at Spectrum Center) against teams from ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10 or American Athletic Conference;
  
  
• $5,000 for each player who graduates within two years of the last semester he was eligible to compete;
  
  
• $15,000 each year the team’s Academic Progress Rating report is 970 or higher;
  
  
• Country club membership and car allowance.
  
  

Recruiting update

Sanchez received his first verbal commitment over the weekend, from Brandon Younger, a 6-foot-6 small forward from Wheeler High in Marietta, Ga. The spring signing period begins Wednesday.

Three other high school players signed for Price with Charlotte in November – forwards Isaiah Bigelow (Greensboro Smith) and Dravon Magnum (Roxboro Person) and guard Cooper Robb (Scott County, Ky.).

Bigelow and Magnum’s high school coaches (Derrick Partee at Smith and Charles Dacus at Person) told the Observer on Monday their players intend to play for Sanchez at Charlotte. Robb identifies himself on his Twitter page as a “UNC Charlotte signee,” with pictures of his signing ceremony in November.

This story was originally published April 9, 2018 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Pay will spike for new Charlotte 49ers AD, basketball coach, contracts show."