University of Minnesota AD, 5 highest-paid coaches to take pay reduction

The University of Minnesota’s athletic director and the department’s five highest-paid head coaches will take a pay reduction to help offset budget impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, the university announced Thursday.

Director of Athletics Mark Coyle, along with football coach P.J. Fleck, men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino, women’s basketball coach Lindsay Whalen, men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko and volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon will take a voluntary 10% pay cut for the first six months of the upcoming fiscal year.

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"I want to thank Lindsay, P.J., Richard, Hugh and Bob for taking a voluntary reduction in pay," said Coyle. "This is the second voluntary reduction for all of us since April, and I appreciate their dedication to Minnesota and willingness to help in a time of financial uncertainty."

Last week, Coyle outlined three potential scenarios facing Gophers’ Athletics. If fall sports are played as planned with fans in the stands, Coyle projects a revenue loss of $10 million, which could go to $30 million if teams play without fans in the stands and extends to $70 million if there aren’t any sports at all through the fall semester.