GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Florida coach Urban Meyer has two
national championships in the last three years and the same number
of raises.
Meyer signed a six-year contract Monday worth $4 million
annually, up from $3.25 million, after leading the Gators to the
national title in January. The new deal makes Meyer the
highest-paid coach in the Southeastern Conference - at least for
now.
Alabama's Nick Saban, scheduled to make $3.9 million this
season, is reportedly negotiating a contract extension. And LSU's
Les Miles has a clause in his contract that guarantees him $1,000
more than any coach in the league if he leads the Tigers to a
national championship.
"Coach Meyer has certainly proven to be one of the top college
football coaches in the country and should be compensated as
such," athletic director Jeremy Foley said in a statement. "We
are proud he is our coach and we appreciate all that he has done
for the Gators."
Foley said in June he planned to work on a new contract for
Meyer and acknowledged the "sensitivity" of giving the coach a
hefty raise during an economic downturn. The university recently
announced $42 million in budget cuts and layoffs of nine faculty
members and 49 staff employees.
But the state-funded school doesn't pay Meyer's salary. The
University Athletic Association, a separate entity that funds the
school's athletic department, does.
Nonetheless, Meyer decided to give some of his money back to the
school. Meyer, the co-chairman of the university's Florida
Opportunity Scholars Program, committed $1 million to the program
over the duration of his contract. School president Bernie Machen
created the program to provide financial assistance to
first-generation, financially disadvantaged students working toward
bachelor's degrees.
"I continue to be very thankful and appreciative for everything
the University of Florida and the athletic program has done for me
and my family," Meyer said in a statement. "Dr. Machen, Jeremy
Foley and the community make this a special place and I'm honored
to be a part of it."
Meyer came to Florida following the 2004 season and has led the
Gators to a 44-9 record in four seasons. Maybe most telling, he's
had Florida at its best in big games. The Gators are 11-1 against
their three main rivals - Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State -
and won both national championships games in convincing fashion
(41-14 over Ohio State in 2007 and 24-14 over Oklahoma in January).
Meyer signed his previous contract, worth $3.25 million
annually, in 2007 after Florida won its first national title in a
decade. He also earned $375,000 in bonuses last season: $75,000 for
winning the Southeastern Conference championship, $250,000 for
winning the national title and $50,000 for a top-10 finish in The
Associated Press poll.
"I believe that Urban Meyer is the best at what he does,"
Machen said in a statement. "He demands excellence of his players
on the field and in the classroom. Not only did the University of
Florida win a national championship in January, but all 13 seniors
earned degrees and the 2008 football team tied an SEC league record
with 37 players named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. We're proud
he's a Gator."
Meyer could be in Gainesville a while, too.
Speaking at a charity golf tournament last month, Meyer said he
was floored when he returned from vacation and heard about another
story linking him to Notre Dame.
"I'm not going to Notre Dame. Ever," said Meyer, who chose
Florida over Notre Dame in 2004. "I'm going to be the coach at
Florida for a long time, as long as they want me."

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)