He’s making what????

by David Safier
The new savior of Tucson coach of the UA basketball team will make $17.1 million over the next seven years. $2.4 million a year.

Plus incentives. I almost forgot about the incentives. Otherwise we might have to take up a collection for the poor soul.

But I guess it's worth it. I mean, think of all the UA basketballers who make it into the NBA.

And think of the overwhelming percentage of them who get Bachelor's Degrees. And every one of those degrees is in a serious academic field requiring countless hours of classroom time as well as backbreaking hours of study, research and writing. None of those soft majors for these guys. Because there's nothing like spending your entire childhood on a basketball court to make you a scholar.

And let's not forget the joy the rest of us get from watching these young men play. Because the joy we get from watching them play is what higher education is all about.

Someone, please remind me that not a penny of coach's $2.4 million a year — plus incentives — comes from tax dollars. Not a penny. Or the cost of all the other sports programs, or the stadiums, or the uniforms, or the travel, or the support staff, or the . . .

Not that I'll believe you. But remind me anyway.