When Texas and Nebraska faced off in the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship title match this past December in Tampa, it featured two of the most prominent coaches in the sport.
Jerritt Elliott and John Cook have a combined seven national titles and won more than 83 percent of their matches over the 20-plus years they’ve been at their respective schools.
They are also two of the highest-paid coaches in college volleyball.
Including bonuses for reaching the national-title match and winning the Big Ten championship, Cook earned $978,750 for the 2023 season.
Elliot was paid $724,750 for winning the national title (Both numbers could be higher once camps and other perks are factored in).
However, those volleyball salaries pale in comparison to what the coaches in last year’s women’s basketball championship game were paid. LSU’s Kim Mulkey earned a reported $3.3 million for the 2022-23 season, while Iowa’s Lisa Bluder earned more than $1.14 million.
And then both basketball coaches received contract extensions. Mulkey signed a 10-year, $36 million deal, making her the highest-paid coach in her sport, while Bluder signed an agreement that increased her base…
