With a salary of $950,000, rookie head Football Coach Paul Rhoads is now the highest paid member of the ISU staff and the fourth-highest paid state employee.

In the world of college football coaches, however, Rhoads’ contract is relativly modest. Based on the 2008 salaries of NCAA coaches, Rhoads’ first year salary would tie him with Tommy West of Memphis as the 70th-highest paid coach in the country and make him the lowest paid coach in the Big 12.

That doesn’t seem to bother Rhoads, however.

“I think it’s a lot of money,” he said. “If you talk to anybody in this buisness, myself included, nobody gets into it because they think they are going to make a lot of money. I think I’m making a lot of money now; that doesn’t change my priorities or the way I look at this job.”

In fact, Rhoads said the signing of his first head coaching contract was barely even on his mind.

“To me it’s more of just an occurance than anything else, because I knew it was going to get done; I wasn’t worried about it,” Rhoads said. “I’ve been working so hard that I really haven’t thought that much about it. I’m glad it’s done and now we can move forward, officially, I guess.”

Rhoads had been working off of a “handshake” agreement since he was anounced as the head coach in December. The $950,000 salary is $200,000 more than men’s basketball coach Greg McDermott, the second-highest paid staff member at Iowa State.

“The salary’s growth is unbelievable in this field, just in the last 10 to 15 years,” Rhoads said of NCAA football coaches.

Rhoads insisted, however, that the high sums of money will not change who he is, as a coach.

“I enjoy going to work every day to teach kids and to prepare a football team that can represent Iowa State University,” Rhoads said. “That hasen’t changed from when I was here in ‘95.”

The contract contains nine incentives for Rhoads to earn above his $950,000 base pay, which include:

– $100,000 for every regular season victory beyond seven.

– $100,000 for reaching the Big 12 Conference Championship game.

– $100,000 for winning the Big 12 Conference Championship game.

– $100,000 for a top-10 finish in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.

– $50,000 for an 11-25 finish in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.

– $50,000 for participation in the Gator, Cotton, Holiday, or Alamo bowl games.

– $25,000 for participation in the Sun, Insight, Independence, Texas, of other Teir III bowl games as determined by the Big 12.

– $25,000 for a post-season bowl victory.

– $25,000 for being named Big 12 or National Coach of the Year (one incentive award in case both honors are awarded in one year.)

Top 5 ISU salaries in 2008:

1. Gene Chizik – $1,037,500

2. Greg McDermott – $750,000

3. Bill Fennelly – $475,000

4. Gregory Geoffroy – $398,316

5. Jamie Pollard – $364,000

Top 5 state salaries in Iowa in 2008:

1. Kirk Ferentz (University of Iowa head football coach) – $2,870,000

2. Donna Katen (adjuct professor at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics) – $1,119,825

3. Todd Lickliter (University of Iowa men’s basketball coach) – $1,037,500

4. Gene Chizik (former head football coach) – $1,037,500

5. Mark Iannettoni (professor at University of Iowa) – $771,416