I'm not talking about what it will pay DuBose in severance. I'm talking about what it will pay his successor. Such a salary demanded extraordinary achievement. The University of Tennessee could justify paying Phillip Fulmer more than a million dollars. He has won eight of every 10 games, two SEC championships and a national title.
Dominance is no longer a necessity in negotiating a seven-figure contract.
For example, take LSU coach Nick Saban. In five years at Michigan State, Saban never won more than nine games. Until the Spartans went 6-2 in the Big Ten in Saban's fifth season, he was three games over .500 in conference play. Nonetheless, he was credited with reviving a Michigan State program impaired by NCAA sanctions. Desperate for success, LSU broke the bank and made Saban a millionaire.