University of Southern California football head coach Lincoln Riley received a base salary of nearly $10 million, or a total of $19.7 million, in the 2022 calendar year, the university’s new federal tax filings show.
The document, provided by the school on Wednesday upon request from USA TODAY Sports, shows Riley received a base amount plus just over $9.6 million in what the document calls “other reportable compensation.” The university said in a statement Wednesday evening that the amount is related to USC’s $4.5 million buyout payment to the University of Oklahoma on Riley’s behalf, and that it treats that amount as taxable income to Riley and treats the amount as taxable income to Riley. He also said that he has paid the taxes due.
The new return will be the first look at Riley’s salary from USC, which hired him from Oklahoma in late November 2021.
The document also shows how much USC paid former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, who accompanied Riley from Oklahoma State. Mr. Grinch received a base salary of nearly $2 million and had more than $2.3 million in “other reportable compensation” also related to acquisitions and tax payments, according to a statement from the university. USC paid Oklahoma a $1.08 million buyout for Grinch. Grinch was fired with two games left in the 2023 season.
In addition to Riley and Grinch’s amounts, new filings show USC paid former head coach Clay Helton nearly $4 million in severance in 2022. Last year, USC reported it paid Helton just over $900,000 in severance.
This means USC paid a total of $28 million in 2022 related to the hiring of three football coaches, two of whom no longer work at the school.
IRS rules require nonprofit organizations, including universities, to disclose most financial information on a fiscal year basis, but to report employee compensation on a calendar year basis. Calendar years completed during a specific fiscal year must be used. USC’s fiscal year subject to the new filing ended on June 30, 2023 for him, so his 2022 calendar year will be used for compensation reporting.
The payments USC reported to Riley and Grinch are similar to those the University of Miami recently announced for football coach Mario Cristobal in his return. Cristobal reportedly received a base salary of just over $7.7 million and “other reportable compensation” of $14.9 million, for a total of just over $22.7 million.
Miami hired Cristobal from the University of Oregon in December 2021. Miami Athletics Director Dan Radakovich told USA TODAY Sports that Cristobal’s $14.9 million in “other” compensation includes a $9 million buyout with the University of Oregon, where he waived his coaching contract to return. admitted that it was. to his alma mater, Miami. Radakovic said the total amount of taxes on this accounted for the rest of the “other” compensation.
In addition to the football coach’s numbers, USC’s new report shows men’s basketball coach Andy Enfield is receiving more than $4.2 million in total compensation for the 2022 calendar year. His base compensation is reported to be just over $3.55 million, nearly $360,000 more than his 2021 base salary.
Contributor: Brent Schrotenboer
