Utah football: Utah offensive coordinator Johnson gets big raise

Brian Johnson not only received a big increase in stature at the University of Utah when he was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, but he also received a hefty salary increase, too.

Johnson, the two-year quarterbacks coach who was promoted to offensive coordinator on Feb. 2, went from being the lowest-paid coach on the staff, making $120,000 a year, to being one of the highest paid. His salary was increased to $225,000, according to details in his new contract, which was obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune.

Johnson's new salary doesn't quite put him on the same level as previous offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who was paid a base of $275,000, but it is the same that defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake received for coaching in 2011.

Chow, who left the Utes after just one year as coordinator to become Hawaii's head coach, also received six premium tickets and six end-zone tickets for Utah home games, four tickets to road games and six tickets to bowl games in addition to the use of a car for work-related matters.

Such perks are not included in Johnson's contract, although he does get a monthly stipend of $450 for the use of a car for work-related matters.

Johnson wasn't the only coach to receive an increase. Records show Jay Hill, who is in his eighth season with the Utes, received a raise that will increase his salary from $180,000 to $225,000.

Eighth-year coach Aaron Roderick, who was a candidate for the coordinator's position, received an increase of $30,000 to bring his salary to $200,000.

Dan Finn, a former Utah graduate assistant from 2004-06 who was hired in February to coach the offensive line, will receive the same salary as Roderick.

The salaries of recent hires Sharrieff Shah (cornerbacks) and Ilaisa Tuiaki (fullbacks and tight ends) along with any raise Sitake might have received haven't been disclosed by the university.

Records also show head coach Kyle Whittingham received an increase of $200,000 in radio and television money to $470,000 a year, in addition to a $100,000 increase in his base salary to $440,000.

Whittingham, who also received a year extension on his five-year contract through Dec. 31, 2017, now makes $2 million a year with all included benefits.

Whittingham generally decides who on his staff gets a raise and how much, although he discusses such matters with Utah athletic director Chris Hill.

Hill said he felt the salaries kept the Utes competitive in the Pac-12 with Utah about midlevel in the conference.

"You want to stay competitive, and the reality of college football is you have to pay your staff more," he said. "We have to make sure we are paying our personnel well."