Baseball coach Tracy Smith gets big raise to come to ASU
New Arizona State baseball coach Tracy Smith is making a base salary of $375,000 on a five-year contract that runs through the 2019 season.
That's a big jump from what Smith was earning in base pay at Indiana, and from the salary ASU was paying previous coach Tim Esmay, both around $200,000.
Including bonuses in 2012, Smith made more than $300,000 according to reports. He certainly reached that level again in 2013 and '14 when the Hoosiers were repeat Big Ten champion and in 2013 reached the College World Series. Smith was national Coach of the Year in 2013 and is a two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year.
The Arizona Board of Regents is expected to approve Smith's contract and that of ASU women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne at its meeting next week in Flagstaff.
Other provisions of Smith's contract are for a minimum $10,000 annual salary increase each year, performance bonuses up to a maximum $82,500 and academic bonuses to a max $20,000.
ASU paid, up to $200,000, to cover Smith's buyout of his Indiana contract, which was through the 2015 season.
There is a buyout of up to $250,000 in Smith's ASU contract.
As previously reported, Turner Thorne is receiving a three-year contract extension through the 2017-18 season. Her annual base salary is increasing to $404,000, up from $384,000. She also can earn performance and academic bonuses up to a combined maximum of $138,480.
Turner Thorne, entering her 18th season at ASU, is the winningest coach in school history and second in most Pac-12 career wins. Her teams have reached the postseason (NCAA or WNIT) in 14 of the past 15 years.
Men's basketball coach Herb Sendek recenly agreed to a contract extension, but terms of that deal were not available.
