It's the offseason, not a lot of breaking news going on, so I thought I'd pose this question...
Why don't coaches make more money?
On the surface, it may sound like a ridiculous question. Head NFL coaches make millions; college coaches are often the state's highest-paid public employees.
But football is the ultimate team game. You can't grab a Lebron and completely turn your team around. That makes strategy/game-planning/scheming/adjustments are paramount, hence the strong need for a top-notch head coach.
So in a league where owners apparently are willing to win at any cost, why haven't we seen coaching salaries skyrocket akin to players' salaries? If nobody blinks at Alex Smith making $21M, why does Belichick only make $7M? Couldn't a reasonable argument be made that a top-tier coach justifies a salary commensurate with a top-tier player?
Am I overestimating a head coach's worth? Are owners more frugal than I am imagining? Is there a coaching salary cap I am not aware of? Is it the case of setting a dangerously expensive precedent?
Or will we see a day where Jerry & Co say, "Screw it. Dabo, here's $20M a year. Take us to the promised land."
