It’s nice work if you can get it — being a university athletic director, that is. They’re well paid, even at schools where sports are not a big part of campus life. And at those where sports rule, the compensation is amazing.
In today’s Martin Center article, Ashlynn Warta presents the data for athletic-director salaries in the UNC system. At tiny Elizabeth City State, the AD earns $120K per year. At sports powerhouse UNC–Chapel Hill, the AD makes a cool $814K.
How does salary for an athletic director compare with that of the dean of a school or department? It’s substantially higher, as you might guess. Warta writes:
When looking at the athletic director’s role as the manager of the athletics department, the most comparable position within colleges and universities is probably that of dean. Much like athletic directors, deans are sure to wear many hats in their departments. In general, deans are responsible for managing departmental hiring, maintaining faculty and staff, managing student affairs, and a myriad of other tasks specific to their schools.
The highest paid dean at Chapel Hill, e.g., makes $500,000 less than the AD.
Warta’s conclusion:
The UNC System should keep in mind the purpose of their institutions: providing a high-quality education. In keeping with that purpose, perhaps there is room to reassess the emphasis placed on athletics, as well as the (typically) large budgets allocated to athletics departments.