LOS ANGELES — Mick Cronin's new six-year contract, which takes effect Friday and pays him $4.1 million annually, is expected to make the UCLA coach the highest-paid public-school basketball coach in the Pac-12.
Given the early returns on investment, it might count as a major bargain. In his two seasons at the school in which the NCAA Tournament has been played, the Bruins have reached a Final Four and a Sweet 16. One of the nation's top recruiting classes will arrive this summer, bolstering what could be a veteran returning core.
Oregon's Dana Altman will make $4 million next season as the result of a $250,000 raise, according to salary data obtained by USA Today, ranking him second in the conference among public school coaches. USC and Stanford, which are both private schools, do not divulge the salaries of their coaches, but it is unlikely they make more than $4.1 million a year.
