Irish payout to Weis keeps piling up
Former coach has received $8.7 million since firing and payments continue through 2015


(John Rieger/US Presswire photo / May 15, 2012)
Notre Dame is still paying fired coach Charlie Weis.

By Brian Hamilton, Chicago Tribune reporter

9:58 p.m. CDT, May 15, 2012

While it played football in 2010, Notre Dame paid men who ran the program a total of $4,949,867 — one to coach the team and one not to coach it.

That figure includes the first look at compensation for Irish coach Brian Kelly and continued payments in the buyout for former coach Charlie Weis — a sum now approaching $8.7 million and counting, according to federal tax documents the Tribune obtained Tuesday.

The totals for Kelly and Weis are revealed on Notre Dame's Form 990 it must submit to the Internal Revenue Service that was made available to the Tribune upon request. In essence, Notre Dame paid in excess of $618,000 for each of its eight victories in the 2010 season.

Weis, who was fired in November 2009 after five seasons and now coaches Kansas, received $2,054,744 of buyout money from Notre Dame in the period covering July 2010 through June 2011.

He received an initial payment of $6,638,403 after his firing, meaning his much-debated buyout total stands at $8,693,147 — and, if it continues at this rate, it could approach $19 million.

"Termination payment of $2,054,744 was made during the reporting period to Charles J. Weis under a separation agreement that includes additional annual payments through December, 2015," the latest form states.

The original $6.6 million payout was to be followed by "much smaller payments," according to previous documents. Weis also received $469,727 from Play by Play sports — now known as Notre Dame Sports Properties — and an additional $1,095 of unspecified "other reportable compensation."

Meanwhile, Kelly earned a total of $2,424,301 — but a notation referring to $1,762,334 of "other reportable compensation" indicated that all or part of that total was a "one-time payment to Coach Kelly."

Given that Kelly did not begin receiving compensation until the 2010 calendar year and therefore did not appear on the tax form for July 2009 through June 2010, that money may have contributed to any buyout Kelly owed Cincinnati after leaving for the Irish in December 2009.

Kelly's base compensation is listed as $617,846 and the form does not include any compensation from "external sources," such as shoe companies. The form also indicates Notre Dame contributed $17,700 to the Kelly Cares Foundation, the charity Kelly and his wife, Paqui, established.

Notre Dame men's basketball coach Mike Brey raked in a total of $1,311,843 according to the documents. That includes $616,843 in base salary, bonuses, "other reportable income," retirement and deferred money and non-tax benefits, plus $695,000 from Play by Play sports.

Irish women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw earned a total of $964,126, according to the form, with $731,626 in compensation from the school and $232,500 from Play by Play sports.

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick cracked the million-dollar mark in the latest documents, earning $1,026,942 from the school.

bchamilton@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/col...8293.story