Albuquerque Journal

Long Gets $310,000 Pay Raise
By Greg Archuleta, Journal Staff Writer

Rocky Long should have no complaints about his new contract. He can earn as much as $1 million in the span of 12 weeks.
       
The University of New Mexico and Long finally signed a new five-year contract, announcing the terms Tuesday.
       
The school will pay the 11th-year head coach $750,000 per year in a deal that runs through June 2013 — a raise of $310,000. If the Lobos somehow manage to earn a Bowl Championship Series bid by going 11-1 or 12-0 this season, incentives would push Long's salary on the cusp of six-zeroes territory.
      
 “If we are successful enough where we got in a BCS game, I'd be pretty happy,” Long said. “But I'd be much happier that our team performed to that level than the bonus I'd get.”
       
Athletics director Paul Krebs said Long's raise was based on his performance over the past seven years, not only on the field, but also on the team's academic standing and increased fan support during that span.
      
 “This contract is a recognition of what's been accomplished,” Krebs said, “and yet recognizing that we have to continue to grow and get better.”
      
 Long's new base salary will be $240,000. He'll receive an additional $510,000 for radio/television appearances; promoting the school, athletics and football; retirement compensation; and apparel he and his team wear — UNM just signed a six-year deal with Nike.
       
Long also has incentives that will pay $25,000 for a Mountain West Conference championship or a top-25 ranking at season's end. He'll receive $10,000 for each win over a team ranked in the top-25 at the time they play.
       
A bowl invitation is worth a month's salary, and if the Lobos go to a BCS game (Fiesta, Orange, Rose or Sugar Bowl or national championship), he'll earn an additional $150,000.
       
The contract also calls for other personal compensation and academic incentives.
       
“It's not going to make me coach any harder,” Long said. “It's an indication of the emphasis that Dr. (UNM President David) Schmidly and Paul have put on improving our entire athletic department.
      
 “Then again, it means we're going to play tougher people, and we have to win more games.”
       
Long will tie Roy Johnson (1920-30) as the school's longest-tenured coach this season.
       
A former Lobo quarterback who led the program to a 17-12-2 record from 1969-71, Long is the school's all-time winningest and losingest coach with a 61-61 record.
       
His teams, however, have a 36-26 record since 2003, including a 9-4 mark in 2007 that ended with the program's first bowl victory since 1961.
      
 Krebs noted that UNM also has raised assistant coaches' salaries, increased the recruiting budget and is improving facilities, but the expectations haven't changed.
      
 “What I think we're about is identifying a vision of where we want this program to go, and figure out how to get there,” he said. “This is another step. I don't look at it as increased expectations; I think it's part of a long-term strategy to grow our football program.”