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Florida AD: Rising salaries among coaches present big challenge

Rob Foldy / Getty Images Sport / Getty

College head coaches getting salaries north of $1 million has become commonplace in recent years, but an emerging trend has seen coordinators commanding similarly massive incomes.

According to USA Today's salary database, 15 assistant coaches in the country made at least $1 million last season. With recent moves in the offseason, that number will rise in 2018, including Florida's new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham collecting $1.39 million.

The man who opted to pay Grantham that number says rising salaries in the coaching profession pose a big issue throughout college athletics.

"I think it's one of the biggest challenges we have in college athletics, what our coaches are making," Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin said Wednesday, per Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel. "They are in a market that allows them to enjoy those kinds of salaries, but I do think the optics of it are not helpful."

Rising salaries are expected to lead to more uncomfortable optics as players remain unpaid outside of scholarships, while coaches turn substantial profits.

Given that any type of salary cap would be illegal, it doesn't appear that the trend will cease anytime soon.

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