The University of Miami (Florida) will pay football coach Mario Cristobal a base salary of $7.7 million and “other reportable wages” in 2022, according to federal tax filings released Tuesday to USA TODAY Sports. He paid $22.7 million, including $14.9 million in remuneration.
According to an investigation by USA TODAY Sports, this is the highest amount ever reported for an athletics employee in a single year by a private university on its tax return. The university provided no further details on why Cristobal and others received the high compensation, except that it paid “gross payments” (payments that cover income taxes because the recipient receives a certain amount of salary). did not mention it.
Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday that Cristobal's $14.9 million in “other” compensation includes the $900,000 he owed Oregon State after opting out of his coaching contract to return to his alma mater, Miami. He confirmed that the deal includes a $10,000 buyout. The added salary will make up the remaining “other” salary, he said.
How to compare Mario Cristobal with other players in these forms
Cristobal, 53, went 5-7 in 2022 after being acquired by the Ducks in December 2021. The tax form covers his 2022 calendar year salary and was made public for the first time this week.
By comparison, the highest single-year salary for a private university president was just over former University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutman's $22.8 million in 2021, according to data from the Chronicle of Higher Education. But about 89% of that came from deferred compensation accumulated during her 18-year tenure, the Chronicle reported.
In athletics, the previous single-year record for a private university was $17.2 million, set by TCU football coach Gary Patterson in 2021 after he parted ways with the university that year.
How Mario Cristobal's salary compares to other Miami players
Because these schools are private universities, they are not required to disclose employment contracts under the Public Records Act. However, as nonprofit institutions, they must file tax returns and provide information about the salaries of certain employees, including their highest paid employees.
These high salaries also mean that the university is taxed in the form of a 21% excise tax on compensation over $1 million paid to any of the private nonprofit university's five highest-paid employees annually. It means to bear a burden.
The same document lists University President Julio Frenk's salary in 2022 as $1.3 million. Men's basketball coach Jim Larranaga received $2.6 million that year, and Radakovich received $1.9 million.
Cristobal is entering his third season with the Hurricanes after finishing 7-6 last season. He replaced Manny Diaz, who was fired in 2021, but the filing does not indicate that he will receive reportable compensation in 2022.
The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Contributor: Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
