Garrido’s Texas Contract Tips the Scales

The financial package that lured Augie Garrido from Cal State Fullerton to Texas will be worth $1.68 million over six years, making it one of the most lucrative college baseball coaching contracts in the nation.

Texas Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds made details of the agreement public Friday in Austin.

Garrido’s base salary will be $115,000 per year, and he’ll be assured of an additional $65,000 from the Texas summer baseball camp. Garrido also will be assured of an additional $70,000 from outside shoe and equipment endorsements, and a radio show appearance agreement. An additional $30,000 will come from a continuing endowment set up to supplement the baseball coach’s salary, bringing the package to around $280,000 per year.

The deal is believed to be slightly better than the one Cliff Gustafson had at Texas when he announced his retirement July 17 after 29 years as head coach of the Longhorns.

Gustafson, 65, the all-time winningest coach in college baseball, resigned after questions were raised about finances of his summer baseball camp.

The university said an internal auditor’s report revealed an unauthorized bank account maintained in connection with the baseball camp into which some camp-related revenues were deposited and used for camp and non-camp purposes. The separate bank account went against athletic department policy.

Bill Little, Texas assistant athletic director, said Garrido’s contract will bring more aspects of the coach’s outside income under university control, along the same lines of contracts with football Coach John Mackovic and basketball Coach Tom Penders.

Little said Garrido’s income for radio appearances during the season will come from an overall broadcasting package for Longhorn sports events.

“He’ll do a regular radio show during the season, as well as have regular appearances on the game broadcasts,” Little said. “All our games are on radio.”

Little said Garrido’s income from the university’s summer baseball camp could increase based on how successful the camp is in the future.

Garrido’s base salary at Fullerton was slightly less than $100,000, but that figure did not include income from his personal summer camp or from his product endorsements.

“One of the things we found in looking at Gustafson’s contract is that we had probably fallen a little behind some of the other top jobs in the country [from a salary standpoint],” Little said Friday.

The contracts signed by Florida Coach Andy Lopez and Miami Coach Ron Morris are believed to be worth more than $300,000 a year. Louisiana State Coach Skip Bertman also reportedly earns in that range, and other baseball coaching salaries in the Southeastern Conference have risen in recent years.

Little said part of the agreement with Garrido was that 20-year-old Disch-Falk Field will be upgraded.

“It’s still one of the finest college baseball facilities in the country, but it’s 20 years old now and could use some work,” Little said. “DeLoss and Augie agreed that we’ll bring an architect in and see what needs to be done, and then go to work to get it funded.”

Disch-Falk Field seats about 7,000 and has been an NCAA regional tournament site 17 times in the last 18 years.

Little said response to Garrido’s hiring has been “extremely favorable” in Texas. “We feel we got the best coach in America, and Augie’s hiring has been as well-received as any hire DeLoss has made,” he said.

Garrido ranks as the nation’s third-winningest active coach and led Fullerton to three College World Series championships in 21 years.

Fullerton will go through the normal hiring procedures required for state universities in replacing Garrido, but Garrido’s associate head coach, George Horton, is the leading candidate and has Garrido’s recommendation.

Titan Athletic Director John Easterbrook plans to name a successor by the end of the month. Assistant athletic director Mel Franks will be chairman of a search committee.