Regents expected to approve Kugler, Stull contracts
New information on just how much UTEP will be paying new football coach Sean Kugler and news of a new deal for athletic director Bob Stull.
ABC-7 has obtained a copy of this week’s University of Texas Board of Regents agenda, revealing the details of their contracts. The deal ensures the 67-year-old Stull, who has been at UTEP for 15 years, will remain in El Paso until at least the age of 70. Meanwhile, the initial contract for the 46-year-old Kugler, a former offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be a five-year deal with a low base pay but nearly half a million dollars in potential incentives.
When Stull introduced Kugler as the new coach in December, there was some talk of increasing the salary. Kugler will make more than former UTEP coach Mike Price, but only 4.5-percent more with a base salary of $280,000. That’s still the lowest base salary among Conference USA coaches. However, with incentives, some of them rather lofty for a program with five winning seasons in more than four decades, Kugler’s salary could increase to as much as $710,000 a year.
Kugler and Stull declined comment until the contracts are finalized.
“Hopefully he can assemble the right players and get all those incentives met,” said UTEP senior student Rudy Melendez.
Among the incentives are a month base salary bonus (more than $23,000, for every win over six during a single season, for a conference title, for a bowl berth and a two month salary bonus for a BCS bowl berth.
“I’m assuming the school would love to be able to go higher in base salary,” longtime UTEP booster Russ Vandenburg said. “But we can afford what we can afford number one. And number two, (Kugler’s) not here for the money and I think that the incentive opportunities for him are tremendous.”
Other incentives include $100,000 for winning the NCAA championship, a month salary for being named C-USA coach of the year or National coach of the year, a top 25 finish in the final poll and an academic progress rate (APR) of 930 or above.
“If he can do it, more power to him,” Melendez said. “But if he can’t, well he’s going to have to stick with that base pay.”
Vandenburg added: “This town likes a winner and this town supports a winner, as it has in the past and it will continue to do so. So I think it goes hand in hand. The more people who show up, the more people will buy tickets and the more money they can afford to pay coaches.”
Stull’s new deal features $233,000 a year base pay, a raise of about 2.5 percent over his previous deal.
Among Stull’s incentives are a month salary bonus (about $20,000) for a bowl appearance, for NCAA tournament berths and for academic achievements in men’s and women’s sports.
