Does anyone know how many years are left on Turner Gill's contract? I don't remember him getting an extension with Liberty yet, and I don't know how many years he was signed for to begin. If we assume he had a five year deal when Liberty hired him, he is entering the final year of that contract which presents a HUGE problem.

First of all, college coaches have to recruit and potential recruits want to commit to a coach who will be around their whole college career. If Gill is in the last year of his contract, that makes him a lame duck and recruits will see that and go a different direction.

"So just extend him, right? It seems like a no-brainer then." Well, not exactly. See, under Gill's guidance the Flames went from 7-4 in Rocco's final year to 6-5 in Gill's first year, followed by 8-4 and 9-5 seasons which were capped off with a dramatic win at Coastal Carolina to make the our first playoffs followed by a playoff win over James Madison. These accomplishments were predominantly completed using the old regime's players as Coach Gill's recruits were underclassmen. However, now that the team is largely, if not fully, his own recruits (which have been well-regarded by the general media as opposed to Rocco's merely solid recruits) the Flames declined to a 6-5 programs marred with inconsistency.

That leaves me (and Liberty) in a pickle: which team is Turner Gill going to provide? Is he more like the 2014 squad that won the Big South, made the playoffs, won a playoff game, beat FBS App State, and made progress? Or is he more like 2015 which we beat Montana and Georgia State (a bowl team!!!) but lose to the likes of Monmouth, Gardner Webb, and Southern Illinois while finishing in 3rd in the Big South (!!!!)? We can't have a lame duck head coach but we can't extend someone if we want FBS and he's just not cut out for building us towards that.

This reminds me of Dale Layer's 2012-2013 season when he had one year left on his deal after that year (I think) and after having the team fall apart from their 2nd place finish in the 2010-2011 season, he miraculously won the Big South tournament as the 9th seed and made the NCAA tournament to earn a new contract before floundering around for two more seasons. I don't want that for our football team, especially when we are trying desperately to be FBS.

I think he is a good coach. I think we will rebound nicely next season. The future is bright.

Comparisons to Coach Layer are unfair to both men. Each had their own challenges for very different reasons.

Coach Gill did indeed sign a 5-year contract when he arrived in Lynchburg from Lawrence. Terms were never revealed but Chris Lang mentioned it a year ago when there was speculation of a contract extension for Coach Gill following the playoff run. I don't recall if an extension was ever announced.

Chris Lang also recently tweeted that Gill is making $700,000 a year. Could this be accurate? $700,000 puts Liberty into a category of some very good coaches. Many OC and DC would listen for sure if that number is accurate.

I couldn't find any info, but I bet Jamey Chadwell at Charleston Southern makes less than $200,000.

$700k is around the number I have have heard. But it is the numbers of his assistants that really make Liberty stand out from other FCS programs. We pay very well.

Chadwell's name is popping up for a bunch of openings right now. I doubt he is back another season at CSU.

He may land at Georgia Southern. I bet that would be a good fit.

$700k for Gill is an extreme overpayment, imo. That would be top tier in most G5 FBS conferences.

I think Withers is $325k base, fyi

You are entitled to your opinion. Everett was getting his first crack at a DI Head Coaching gig. His next contract will be higher if the Dukes keep winning or slide into CUSA.

Or if he had gotten the ECU gig. I don't disagree that $700,000 is way to much for the results we've gotten to this point. One playoff appearance is under performing for that type of salary.

Agreed all around.

And I'm sorry for the comparisons between Gill and Layer. It wasn't meant to be a comparison between the two but rather their situations of being in the last year of their contracts before getting an extension.