Talk About Madness: College Basketball Coaches Could Afford to Pay for Hundreds of Students’ Tuition or Room and Board with Annual Salaries

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Updated on September 17th, 2021

Reading Time: 6 minutes

It’s tournament time! While many people spent this week filling out brackets and fighting to secure conference rooms with TVs, Redfin looked at the NCAA tournament from a housing perspective. College coaches are often the highest paid state employees, and can afford housing that’s much more luxurious than a dorm room. To find out exactly how luxurious, we selected 10 schools participating in the NCAA Championship and found a home near campus that each school’s head coach could afford with one year’s salary.

We also figured out how many students the college basketball coaches could assist in a year; not by improving their basketball skills, but by paying for their annual tuition or room and board costs. For example, Duke University’s ‘Coach K’ could buy a 10,000-square-foot home, pay the tuition of 211 students or cover the room and board fees for 728 students.

The colleges that we chose to highlight are located across the country to provide a sense of the dichotomy between coaches’ pay and students’ costs at schools of all sizes. As John Oliver pointed out on “Last Week Tonight,” college basketball players do not get paid and often face high living costs, even though tuition is covered. On the other hand, coaches receive salaries well into the millions, in addition to other revenue streams such as basketball camps, apparel deals and TV and radio shows. They aren’t as big as an NBA streaming deal but they’re still substantial.

Arizona Wildcats

Tournament Seed: #2 in West Region
Conference: Pac-12
Coach: Sean Miller
2014 Coach’s Salary: $2,627,806
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 239 students (at $10,957/year)
  • The annual room and board for 270 students (at $9,700/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”arizona-wildcats”]

 

Address: 3252 E Camino Boscaje Escondido
City: Tucson, AZ
Price: $2,195,000
Listed by: Russell Long, Long Realty Company

“This Mediterranean-themed home has a little bit of everything for coach Miller,” said Sara Fischer, a Redfin real estate agent in Tucson. “There’s a beautiful mountain view, expansive rear porch complete with a pool and spa and a 100-bottle wine fridge for extra Champagne storage when the Wildcats win it all!”

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Duke Blue Devils

Conference: ACC
Tournament Seed: #1 in South Region
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski
2014 Coach’s Salary: $9,682,032
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 211 students (at $45,760/year)
  • The annual room and board for 728 students (at $13,290/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”duke-blue-devils”]

 

Address: 3501 Bluestone Ct
City: Durham, NC
Price: $2,750,000
Listed by: Owen Gwyn, North Carolina Estates

“Located on five private acres bordering Duke Forest, this exemplary residence is 10,448 square feet and offers one of the finest lifestyle opportunities in North Carolina for Coach K,” said Allen Wyde, a Redfin real estate agent in Raleigh-Durham. “Aside from the basketball court, there is also a private tennis court, swimming pool and a cabana featuring two full baths for the legendary coach.”

North Carolina Tar Heels

Coach: Roy Williams
Tournament Seed: #4 in West Region
Conference: ACC
2014 Coach’s Salary: $1,827,945
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 219 students (at $8,336/year)
  • The annual room and board for 172 students (at $10,592/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”north-carolina-tar-heels”]

 

Address: 7120 Creek Wood Drive
City: Chapel Hill, NC
Price: $1,325,000
Listed by: Lucia Cooke, Cooke Property, Inc.

“This home was custom-built in 2004 and features beautiful crown moulding, rich walnut floors, a modern kitchen and practical built-ins,” said Nicole Faircloth, a Redfin real estate agent in Chapel Hill. “It sits on more than an acre of land, with a fire pit in the backyard and plenty of space to build a basketball court. It’s just a short drive away from the university, so it’d be a quick commute for Williams!”

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Conference: ACC
Tournament Seed: #8 in East Region
Coach: Mark Gottfried
2014 Coach’s Salary: $2,009,000
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 242 students (at $8,296/year)
  • The annual room and board for 200 students (at $10,030/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”north-carolina-state-wolfpack”]

 

Address: 3601 Nightfall Ct
City: Raleigh, NC
Price: $1,399,000
Listed by: Christina Valkanoff, Re/Max One Realty

“This 5,000-square-foot home rests on a cul-de-sac about five miles away from the university,” said Andrew Stewart, a Redfin real estate agent in Raleigh-Durham. “The home has a resort-like master bedroom, floor-to-ceiling windows and a tiered, marble patio in the backyard overlooking the pool.”

Oregon Ducks

Conference: Pac-12
Tournament Seed: #8 in West Region
Coach: Dana Altman
2014 Coach’s Salary: $2,000,000
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 201 students (at $9,918/year)
  • The annual room and board for 180 students (at $11,097/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”oregon-ducks”]

 

Address: 90680 Coburg Hills Dr
City: Eugene, OR
Price: $1,900,000
Listed by: Ruby Brockett, Berkshire Hathaway

“Coach Altman would love this 7,415-square-foot home for many reasons, but my favorite part is the million-dollar view of Coastal Range and Willamette Valley during sunset!” said Brian Thomas, a Redfin real estate agent in Oregon. “The home has everything you’d want in Oregon including a wine cellar, gated garden and a massive patio showcasing the 79-acre lot.”

Texas Longhorns

Conference: Big 12
Tournament Seed: #11 in Midwest Region
Coach: Rick Barnes
2014 Coach’s Salary: $2,550,000
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 259 students (at $9,830/year)
  • The annual room and board for 222 students (at $11,456/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”texas-longhorns”]

 

Address: 1015 Gaston Ave
City: Austin, TX
Price: $1,950,000
Listed by: Dana Dean, Gottesman Residential R.E.

“This classic Colonial-style home already has a spot for the state flag of Texas, and a basketball court!” said Andrew Vallejo, a Redfin real estate agent in Austin. “It sits just across Shoal Creek, a short commute to the university. It was built in 1937 and retains a lot of the original fixtures, giving it a timeless look.”

University of California, Los Angeles Bruins

Conference: PAC-12
Tournament Seed: #11 in South Region
Coach: Steve Alford
2014 Coach’s Salary: $3,473,973
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 273 students (at $12,705/year)
  • The annual room and board for 239 students (at $14,511/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”ucla-bruins”]

 

Address: 610 Cascada Way
City: Los Angeles, CA
Price: $3,149,000
Listed by: Silvia Obagi, Sotheby’s International Realty

“This beautiful home in Bel Air is less than a mile from UCLA,” said Alec Traub, a Redfin real estate agent in Los Angeles. “It was built in 1951 but has been recently renovated with a state-of-the-art kitchen and modern decor. The backyard has a large patio and play area that could easily be turned into a basketball court if Alford wanted one!”

Villanova University Wildcats

Conference: Big East
Tournament Seed: #1 in East Region
Coach: Jay Wright
2014 Coach’s Salary: $2,489,332
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 54 students (at $45,966/year)
  • The annual room and board for 202 students (at $12,278/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”villanova-university-wildcats”]

 

Address: 330 Baintree Rd
City: Bryn Mawr, PA
Price: $1,999,999
Listed by: Selma Glanzberg, BHHS Fox & Roach-Gladwyne

“This 8,000-square-foot English manor sits on 1.27 acres of picturesque grounds, less than a mile away from the university,” said Andrew Black, a Redfin real estate agent in Philadelphia. “The rec room on the lower level would be the perfect place to create a Wildcats man cave!”

Virginia Commonwealth University Rams

Conference: A-10
Tournament Seed: #7 in West Region
Coach: Shaka Smart
2014 Coach’s Salary: $1,530,000
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 123 students (at $12,398/year)
  • The annual room and board for 142 students (at $10,742/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”virginia-commonwealth-university-rams”]

 

Address: 1853 W. Grace St.
City: Richmond, VA
Price: $1,195,000
Listed by: Thomas Innes, Re/max Commonwealth

“This stunning period home is actually a National Landmark. It was built in 1910 by prominent Richmond citizen William Zimmerman as a ‘dream house’ for his wife, Louise,” said Warren Teller, a Redfin real estate agent in Richmond. “It is about a half-mile away from the university, in an area with a lot of historical homes. The property includes a pool and a former carriage house that has been converted into a full apartment.

Wisconsin Badgers

Conference: Big Ten
Tournament Seed: #1 in West Region
Coach: Bo Ryan
2014 Coach’s Salary: $2,413,500
Salary Could Pay for:

  • The annual tuition for 231 students (at $10,410/year)
  • The annual room and board for 282 students (at $8,546/year)
  • The following home near campus:

[cycloneslider id=”wisconsin-badgers”]

 

Address: 1155 Farwell Dr
City: Madison, WI
Price: $2,200,000
Listed by: Shelly Spinkman, Sprinkman Real Estate

“Bo knows basketball, but he also knows that a Lake Mendota view can help alleviate the stress that March basketball brings,” said Brian Callahan, a Redfin real estate agent in Madison. “This classic brick home is more than 5,000 square feet and has a large, tree-filled backyard that showcases one of the best views in Madison.”

 

Methodology
Coaches’ salaries are from the USA Today NCAA Salaries list found here. Tuition and room and board costs are from the National Center for Education Statistics. For public schools, the in-state tuition figure was used, and we used 2014-2015 tuition values. For all schools, room and board costs were pulled from the 2014-2015 ‘On Campus’ living arrangements.

What are your thoughts on this story? We’d love to hear them. Please let us know on Twitter,  Facebook or in the comments below.

If you are represented by an agent, this is not a solicitation of your business. This article is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional advice from a medical provider, licensed attorney, financial advisor, or tax professional. Consumers should independently verify any agency or service mentioned will meet their needs. Learn more about our Editorial Guidelines here.
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Jon Whitely

Jon writes about real estate and works with journalists and agents across the country. He previously worked at an advertising and PR agency in Madison, helping the world understand why every pizza needs Wisconsin Cheese. His dream home would have a water slide in the master bedroom to make getting out of bed a splash. Redfin is a full-service real estate brokerage that uses modern technology to make clients smarter and faster. For more information about working with a Redfin real estate agent to buy or sell a home, visit our Why Redfin page.

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