PULLMAN -- Mike Leach not only is the most well-compensated employee in the history of Washington State University -- by far -- but he also has a number of attainable incentives that could boost his $2.25 million annual salary even higher.
Leach, the WSU football coach, signed his first contract earlier this month, obtained by The Seattle Times via a public-records request.
Among other incentives in the five-year deal, Leach can make $25,000 for winning the Apple Cup, $75,000 for getting to a non-BCS bowl game and $100,000 for a BCS bowl.
A top-25 final ranking would bring $50,000, and the top 10 would land $100,000. If the Cougars become the No. 1 public school in Pac-12 graduation rates, it's worth $25,000, or $15,000 for being in the top four Pac-12 public schools.
The contract stipulates a five-year rollover, triggered in December 2013, when Leach would be two seasons into his contract. If neither party opts out of the rollover provision, it annually becomes a five-year agreement.
Leach has buyout responsibility if he leaves WSU before five years have expired. He would owe $2.25 million if he left before Dec. 31 of this year; $1.8 million if it happened anytime in 2013; $1.35 million in 2014; $900,000 in 2015; and $450,000 in 2016.
If WSU terminates Leach without cause, it owes him 60 percent of his remaining aggregate base salary, which is $2 million per year. Thus, if he had two years left on his deal, the school would owe $2.4 million, or 60 percent of $4 million.
Before Leach was attracted by WSU almost a year ago, the highest contract given to any WSU employee was the $1 million deal signed by former basketball coach Tony Bennett.
