FAU introduces new football coach Carl Pelini

BOCA RATON, Fla. - New Florida Atlantic University football coach Carl Pelini will be paid an annual base salary of $450,000 for five years under his contract that was approved Monday by the FAU board of trustees.

Pelini, who was introduced today in a news conference at the new FAU stadium, will make about 10 percent more than the man he replaced. Howard Schnellenberger earned $405,905 before bonuses this season, his last after 27 years as a college head coach.

Pelini will be entitled to a 5 percent increase each January. In addition, among his incentives is an extra $100,000 a year if more than 12,000 season tickets are sold. That bonus increases by $50,000 if more than 18,000 are sold, and another $50,000 if 24,000 season tickets are sold.

This year, its first in the new, on-campus stadium, FAU sold 4,633 season tickets.

Pelini's other potential bonuses: $50,000 for winning the conference championship and receiving a BCS bowl bid; $20,000 for winning the conference championship and receiving a non-BCS bowl bid; $10,000 for playing in any bowl; $25,000 for finishing in the top 10 of the final poll; $25,000 for winning national coach of the year; $7,500 for being named conference coach of the year; $10,000 for receiving a top 10 percent NCAA APR (academic progress rate) recognition and $7,500 for a top 25 percent APR.

Pelini also is allowed to receive income from radio and television shows and from any sports camps or clinics.

Pelini has a buyout that starts at $600,000 if he leaves during the first year of the contract and decreases by $100,000 each year for the length of the contract.

The contract also assures that the Owls still will have to play some "revenue games" - road games that are likely to end in defeat but will bring cash into the program.

The contract states that FAU is required to play enough games to generate at least $2 million in guaranteed revenue during each year of the agreement. The Owls have scheduled games at Georgia, Alabama and Navy next season. The contract with Navy calls for a home-and-home series with the Midshipmen, who will come to Boca Raton in 2017.

The Owls will receive $1 million for the Georgia game and close to if not that same amount from Alabama. FAU will net $200,000 from the Navy series.