Columbia, Mo. ? New Missouri basketball coach Mike Anderson will earn a minimum of $850,000 annually over the next five years – as long as he “agrees to be a loyal employee” and doesn’t bad-mouth the school.
Those clauses are just some of the conduct requirements spelled out in the 22-page employment contract, which was signed Monday and released to the Associated Press on Tuesday through the state’s public-records laws.
Anderson, who comes to Missouri after four years as Alabama-Birmingham coach, also will be expected to:
¢ “maintain a mature and rational attitude, keep emotions in control and downplay defeats”;
¢ “establish and maintain a frequent and systematic program of personal communication with the university’s administration, faculty, staff and student body”;
¢ “keep public statements complimentary to the athletic program and the university”;
¢ make a minimum of 30 public appearances annually at booster lunches, alumni dinners and similar community events.
No such behavioral requirements, nor a stipulated minimum number of public appearances, are found in the contracts of either Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel or Anderson’s predecessor, Quin Snyder, who resigned in mid-February with six regular-season games remaining.
Anderson’s base salary is less than the $1.015 million a year Snyder earned before he left during his seventh season at Missouri. But the new coach’s contract is loaded with more incentives than Snyder had, including an extra $10,000 for reaching at least 20 wins against Division I opponents and $25,000 for drawing at least 10,000 paying fans on average to Mizzou Arena.
Anderson will be allowed up to $20,000 each year in discretionary expenses. He receives a free membership to the Country Club of Missouri and the use of two courtesy cars donated by local dealers – one fewer than Snyder had.
Should he reach all outlined goals, Anderson’s yearly salary with incentives would climb to $1.465 million – a sizable increase from his base annual salary of $600,000 at UAB.
“I think it’s a very attractive job,” Anderson said Tuesday about UAB in a final interview session at Bartow Arena. “When I got here, it was Alabama at Birmingham. It’s UAB now. It’s UAB wherever you go.”
