A north Alabama lawmaker has introduced a bill that could cap salaries for some Alabama high school coaches.
State Rep. Craig Ford (D-Gadsden) has introduced a bill in the 2017 Legislative session, which started this week, to limit the salary of a coach who doesn’t teach to 75 percent of the high school principal’s salary.
“We’re putting the cart before the horse when we pay a coach more than a teacher in the classroom,” Ford said.
High school football coaching salaries have skyrocketed in recent years, with Hewitt-Trussville luring new coaches with salaries exceeding $100,000 per year.
Thompson coach Mark Freeman (Dennis Victory/preps@al.com)
At Thompson, football coach Mark Freeman earns $123,957, according to the school system, and he does not have teaching responsibilities. Principal Wesley Hester earns $126.360 per year.
Freeman said he does assist with two athletic physical education classes, even though he's not listed as a teacher, and serves as system-wide athletic director. Freeman oversees a football program with approximately 250 players in grades 7-12 and spearheads many fundraising activities.
"I get here every day about 6 a.m. and don't leave until 7 (at night)," he said.
Hoover City Schools made Hoover’s Josh Niblett the state’s highest-paid football coach in April 2015, and he now earns $133,000 per year, according to Hoover City Schools.
“I think it’s getting out of hand,” Ford said.
The average salary for a high school principal is $95,076, according to information provided by the state department of education, and the average teaching salary is $49,776.
Would this proposal really cap coaching salaries?
Ford’s proposal calls for capping salaries for coaches who do not teach, but a vast majority do.
At many Class 6A and 7A schools, head football coaches often also serve as the school's athletic director, which can mean they avoiding classroom duties but picking up a key administrative task. In other cases, head football coaches teach weight-lifting or other physical education classes that can be viewed as an extension of football.
Auburn High, for instance, hired Adam Winegarden in 2015 at a salary of $123,000 as the school’s head football coach and director of football operations. He now makes $126,702 annually, according to information provided by the Auburn City school system, and Auburn High Principal Shannon Pignato earns $117,520.
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Winegarden teaches an athletic physical education class and also serves as the director of football operations, which means he coordinates all aspects of the football program for grades 7-12.
“This job is an every-day, year-round job,” said Winegarden, who estimates he regularly works more than 70 hours per week.
At Hoover, Niblett teaches three classes in the school’s eight-period day -- one athletics period of weight training and two periods of non-athletic weight-training.
“There’s a lot of people out there who probably think I don’t teach,” Niblett said. “I love being around any of our students and having an impact on their lives. I enjoy teaching non-athletic weight-training, I really do.”
At Spain Park, also in Hoover City Schools, coach Shawn Raney earns $119,600 per year. He teaches two athletic weight-lifting classes and also teaches an “Academic Opportunity class,” according to the school system.
Spain Park Principal Larry Giangrosso earns $139,077 per year, according to figures provided by Hoover City Schools.
At Hewitt-Trussville, coach Josh Floyd also earns more than $120,000 annually. He teaches two athletic physical education classes, another athletic weight-lifting class, has lunchroom duty during “Husky Hour,” and serves as an assistant athletic director during the school’s seven-period day.
“I’m plenty busy,” said Floyd, who led the Hewitt to its first 10-0 regular season last fall. “A lot goes into running a 7A program.”
Freeman, Niblett, Floyd and Winegarden said they had not heard about Ford’s proposal until contacted by AL.com and therefore had formed no opinion of the proposal.
Could this bill pass?
Ford said he’s received positive feedback from other legislators, but added he hasn’t researched how the proposal might impact local booster clubs.
The current bill has a clear theme, but lacks detailed plans for implementation. It also doesn’t specify what subjects a coach must teach to be exempt from the cap.
“I want to make sure the emphasis is putting education dollars in the classroom … The devil is in the details,” Ford said.
(AL.com Reporter Trish Crain contributed to this report.)
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