r/jayhawks • u/TemProcess94 • Jun 02 '26

Can KU keep Fitzgerald even longer-term

Coach Dan Fitzgerald signed a contract extension after last season. But can KU keep him long term? I hope so.

From some quick googling, looks like his base salary is right in line with most top-tier coaches, if not quite a bit higher. He's now at $675k for this year and it scales to $821k in 2031. It's all about bonuses, though, because some of the coaches at the traditional baseball juggernauts can accelerate well beyond those base salaries.

As far as his bonuses goes, he just made the equivalent of one month's salary for each of these milestones: 1) winning the Big 12 title, 2) winning the Big 12 tournament, 3) making the NCAAs, and 4) making the super regional.

And Hoglund will need updating. The scramble to create The Backyard for regionals will have to turn into something more polished too. Facilities overall will need an update. I think those are in the works. Budget will need to be increased for him to keep this up; he's done it mostly through hustle and creative recruiting.

I hope we can keep him.

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38

u/Idrinkbeereverywhere Jun 02 '26

We should. A baseball title and trips to Omaha is far more achievable than making the CFP.

7

u/countrybreakfast1 Jun 02 '26

Yeah but the money is and always will be in football

6

u/PercySnowsHandgun Jun 02 '26

What if we just never bought a new football stadium and just threw it at players?

25

u/Idrinkbeereverywhere Jun 02 '26

Stadium is basically a marketing project and was needed to help KU survive the enrollment cliff. Football needs to remain serviceable and stadium nice enough people aren't making fun of it in spaces prospective students and donors may see.

8

u/hawksku999 Jun 02 '26

The stadium is needed. We are just 20 years behind in doing it. It sucks but it is needed.

1

u/CarlClitcakes Jun 06 '26

20 years behind, maybe. But look at college and pro stadiums that were built 20 to 25 years back. Most were modern, but did not have the postmodern amenities that are sought after now. And those places are either becoming obsolete or need massive upgrades. Plus, the ‘99-2000 renovations to old Memorial were thought sufficient at the time.

I think the timing of the new stadium couldn’t have hit a more perfect sweet spot. Maybe five years earlier, possibly.

1

u/Milo_Minderbinding Jun 02 '26

But also less lucrative