Firing AD Dave Brandon will cost Michigan over $3 million
If Michigan wants to fire athletic director Dave Brandon, it won't be cheap.
Both Brandon and Wolverines coach Brady Hoke are under fire for the way they handled quarterback Shane Morris's mild concussion, which Morris sustained on Saturday.
Brandon admitted a "serious lack of communication" in letting the sophomore back on the field after he appeared woozy.
MLive today reported that firing Brandon would cost Michigan at least $3 million.
That's on top of the $900,000 base salary Brandon is due to earn in 2014-15.
Brandon’s $3-million buyout is made up of his base salaries of $950,000 in 2015-16, $1 million in 2016-17, and $1.05 million in 2017-18. His current contract expires in June 2018.
The university reworked his deal in July 2012, extending his original five-year contract after Brandon's first two years at U-M. With the extension, Brandon's salary was raised from $600,000 (plus bonuses) to $800,000 for 2012-13, with $50,000 raises in each of the following years until reaching a 2017-18 salary of $1.05 million.
Michigan will have to pay Brandon's full base salary if he's fired before July 1, 2016. However, if he's fired after that date, he'll receive just 50 percent of his remaining base salary and 50 percent of an amount equalling his remaining deferred compensation.
Brandon is a former chief executive officer at Ann Arbor-based Domino's Pizza, and his employment opportunities go further than just college athletics, according to MLive.
It'll cost the school a handsome sum if they want to fire Hoke as well. Hoke signed his contract in 2011, and he'll be owed $2 million for the remaining two years left on his contract if he's fired.
To date, the coach has earned $11.4 million, including his $2.3 million salary for the ongoing 2014 season.