The Oregon Ducks are one win away from a guaranteed trip to the BCS national title game. With a win over Oregon State this Saturday, the Ducks would run their record to 12-0 and remain atop the BCS polls. The stakes can’t be raised any higher than that. Or can they?
For Chip Kelly, they certainly can. After a review of Kelly’s current contract with Oregon, USA Today determined that the Ducks’ game this weekend is valued at around $4.3 million for their head coach. Kelly’s contract includes a provision that tacks another year onto his contract if Oregon wins at least 12 games in the 2010 season or qualifies for the BCS title game. A win over Oregon State would assure both and give Kelly an extra year on his contract worth $4 million, taking him into the 2016-2017 season.
Like almost all other coaches in the NCAA, Kelly also would receive a bonus if Oregon were to go on and win the national championship. That would pay him an additional $200,000 along with adding a year to his deal. And that’s not all. Kelly also earns $285,000 every time one of his teams wins 12 “regular season” games, so he would get his hands on that cash with a win this weekend as well.
No pressure.
