Another SEC defensive coordinator joins $700,000 club

$700,000-plus appears to be the new going rate for defensive coordinators in the Southeastern Conference.

South Carolina’s Ellis Johnson had his annual compensation doubled to $700,000 yesterday when the executive committee of the school’s board of trustees approved a contract extension that adds two years to his contract (through 2013).

That makes Johnson one of four SEC defensive coordinators who’ll make at least $700,000 this year, joining Georgia’s Todd Grantham ($750,000), Alabama’s Kirby Smart ($750,000) and LSU’s John Chavis ($700,000).

Only one SEC defensive coordinator made more than $450,000 last year.

Smart and Chavis got  raises of $390,000 and $250,000, respectively, after being pursued for the Georgia job. Johnson got his $350,000 raise after reportedly being offered the Tennessee DC job by new Vols coach Derek Dooley.

Georgia is paying Grantham, who spent the past 11 years as an NFL assistant, about $425,000 more than it paid former defensive coordinator Willie Martinez ($325,815 last year).

The run-up in SEC defensive-coordinator salaries started last year when Tennessee paid Monte Kiffin, now at Southern Cal, $1.2 million in base salary. But the SEC’s next highest paid DC last year, Chavis, made $450,000.

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216 comments Add your comment

Jort Capital Of USA = UF

February 12th, 2010
5:32 pm

THe Best Gator is one mouted on a wall, Fact is UF doesn’t scare anyone anymore Bama showed the whole country what was up with those swamp lizards, UF is pretty unstable, coaches jumpimg ship leaving for other jobs like its a ship going down, only a matter of time before the get theres, promise i’ll be there when it happens GO DAWGS GATA… we still hold the series things never stay the same forever and we’ll return to the top in this series. Meyer days are thin “my chest hurts” something else is going to hurt real soon. You girls are gonna miss Teblow real bad!!!!!

patty cakes

February 12th, 2010
5:36 pm

Using Patrick’s logic, the Atlanta Braves were the team of the decade in the 90’s, becuase they had the best overall won/lost record during that period. Although they do not have more titles than other teams in that decade, they are the best.

But at least the Braves won a title during that decade, unlike his beloved leg humpers from Athens.

patty cakes

February 12th, 2010
5:43 pm

Is it just me or does Patrick order pizza daily?

Maybe he can play the middle of uga’s vaunted new 3-4 scheme?

.

February 12th, 2010
6:36 pm

He!! I’m a Obama fan. Spend baby spend! I’ll own your a@@ before long. Bet on it.

THE YELLOW SWARM

February 12th, 2010
8:51 pm

Enter your comments here

patrick

February 12th, 2010
9:26 pm

soooo Patricks logic….more wins, more bowls, more bowl wins, more times ranked top ten, more OOC victories does not make them better??? what would then? Winning a mythical VOTED on BCSNC that even the NCAA does not officially recognize? (In case you are wondering the NCAA merely cites what a school CLAIMS as a NC and lists it on its web site).

Ummmm yep pretty much being in the lead of all real stats and records do tend to make a team better than the ones BEHIND them. WOW what a concept. Mythical voted on NCs not withstanding.

patrick

February 12th, 2010
9:28 pm

The pizza came and still no word on the team other than UGA that had 18 scholly players lost but still had 10 wins, a bowl win and a top ten ranking. Should I check back in tomorrow for that team patty cakes? LOL.

Dude you have been so owned over the last few days I would wait a while before posting again

Can You Dig It

February 12th, 2010
11:33 pm

You’d have to be a fool to want to coach under Urban Meyer. The only reason his coaches stayed as long as they did is because of Tebow. As soon as Tebow was finished they all bailed out on Meyer. He’s known to be a self absorbed pompous ass that takes credit for everyone elses hard work.He lies to recruits and thier parents and will soon show his true colors to the Gator Nation when they don’t live up to expectations over the next few years. Sure they had a great recruiting class but whose going to coach them up?….the new coaches they hired don’t scare anyone in the league….most are cast offs from other programs that have not succeeded.The Gators are in for a long season in 2010.I see at least four or five losses on the horizon for them….Can’t wait to watch Meyer cry and have a melt down on TV. One thing for sure..he’ll point fingers and blame everyone but himself.Count on it!
Can You Dig It!

Dusty

February 13th, 2010
7:45 am

When you pay that much, are you guaranteed to get what you paid for?

hillster, blue tick

February 13th, 2010
10:39 am

somebody feed me, just not ya gatorturds ya stink ya cant beat tennersea stop talking gatorheads

bitter fla fan

February 13th, 2010
10:45 am

can you dig this, stop talking fool shut down yo crack house and understand that gator nation will always have teebo at QB meyer just applied for a medical redshirt for teebos 6@7 seasons go gators

Dawg Bone

February 13th, 2010
6:36 pm

Ellis johnson, worth $700,000 per year?? Are you serious? He’s not worth $200,000! Spurrier’s getting desperate to keep coaches around. The Dawg O will light up the scoreboard against usc in the fall-bank on it!

uf IS GA'S NEGRO

February 14th, 2010
1:38 am

Blue Max-Im not Gator Bait,I live in Fl.too.I just “SHOOT” them,they taste like chicken.Since most lot of em are spineless cowards, that destroy others property, I’ll be damn if I ever lower myself to be uf trailer trash.

THE YELLOW SWARM

February 14th, 2010
9:48 am

JOE SPEED————— REMEMBER THE NAME ——————IT WILL BE A BLURR GOING BY YOU……………..

Señora Weeb

February 14th, 2010
12:29 pm

“Georgia senior center Albert Jackson was arrested early Friday on an outstanding warrant stemming from a misdemeanor hit-and-run in an Athens parking lot two years ago.”

Here we go. Arrest #1 for the year. Thugs rule at UGA!

Yellow Fuzz

February 18th, 2010
8:14 am

While watching the US speed skater win the gold medal last night (by 18-hundreths of a second) over the South Korea guy, I couldn’t help but wonder if that would have qualified as a severe “a$$ kicking” or “beat down” if he had been from uga.

Hahahahahahahahahahahhahaahhaahahhahahahaha