Alabama will pay its assistant football coaches slightly less in 2018 than last year, largely due to a pair of Southeastern Conference Western Division foes helping supply the tab.
Despite the NCAA's recent addition of a 10th assistant coach for the first time, Alabama will pay its 2018 staff a combined $5.95 million after forking over $5.99 million during the 2017 season, when the Crimson Tide won their fifth national championship of the Nick Saban era. This year's salaries for Alabama's assistants were approved this week by the university's board of trustees compensation committee.
First-year offensive coordinator Mike Locksley is scheduled to earn $1.2 million, matching the salary of predecessor and current Buffalo Bills offensive coorinator Brian Daboll. New defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi will make $1.1 million, which is less than the $1.3 million Jeremy Pruitt earned last year before becoming the head coach at Tennessee.
Pruitt was scheduled to earn $1.4 million this season in Tuscaloosa and $1.5 million next year as part of the three-year contract he received last May.
Alabama also is saving money by paying new quarterbacks coach Dan Enos $200,000 this year and $250,000 next year, which is well under the $800,000 he made last season as the Arkansas offensive coordinator. Arkansas will pay Enos $350,000 this year and $250,000 in 2019, according to buyout terms that went into effect last November following the removal of Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema after five seasons.
Enos is scheduled make $875,000 with the Crimson Tide in 2020.
New special-teams coach Jeff Banks will earn $267,550 from Alabama this year before being paid $550,000 in 2019 and 2020. Banks is receiving an undisclosed buyout from Texas A&M, where he worked last season under former coach Kevin Sumlin before serving as the interim head coach in the Belk Bowl.
Alabama's updated salaries also include $750,000 for new defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski, $650,000 for new linebackers coach Pete Golding, $525,000 for new receivers coach Josh Gattis, $490,000 for offensive line coach Brent Key, $425,000 for new running backs coach Joe Pannunzio and $350,000 for new secondary coach Karl Scott.
Crimson Tide strength coach Scott Cochran will earn $585,000 this season after receiving a $50,000 raise.
Alabama, which owns 11 consecutive wins over Arkansas and five straight over Texas A&M, is not without having to account for buyouts as well. The Tide are paying $300,000 to Louisiana-Lafayette for Scott, $53,000 to Miami for Kuligowski and $50,000 to Penn State for Gattis.
Kennedy transferring
Crimson Tide backup center Brandon Kennedy, who graduated in December, is transferring to complete his eligibility.
The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder from Wetumpka, Ala., was an ESPN top-100 prospect in the 2015 signing class and redshirted that year. He played in seven games in 2016 and three last season before suffering an injury that resulted in a medical redshirt.
AL.com was the first to report Kennedy's departure.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.