Economy
Bronco Nation Pays Well
January 3, 2010 
Poet Paul offers this little diddy on Idaho’s highest paid state employee at a time when “Coach Pete” has the attention of most of Boise–if not much of the sports world. Peterson recently announced he will remain at the helm of BSU football for at least another half decade.
There are those who work every day
Just to try and make their way
Life would be a piece of cake
If only they could make
Five percent of Coach Pete’s pay!
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Comments & Discussion
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© 2010 Boise Guardian. 
Jan 3, 2010, 11:11 am
We pay him well…very well, but realize what he brings to us in the way of income for the State of Idaho. Well worth the investment as far as I am concerned!
Jan 3, 2010, 11:21 am
Please. The BSU football program is responsible for bringing in millions of dollars to the school. This money pays for new buildings, salaries and supports the other sports programs. Also, the money earned from the Fiesta Bowl appearance is split among the teams in the WAC conference, so it can be said that we subsidize the underperforming football programs. Something I would think that Poet Paul would be in support!
Jan 3, 2010, 12:59 pm
If you evaluate his performance versus his peers, he should be paid much more.
Jan 3, 2010, 1:37 pm
Any one who generates the income for the university coach Pete does would certainly make as much as he does.
Jan 3, 2010, 2:16 pm
Has anyone noticed………….. The Idaho Statesman never shows any pictures of actual Boise State University students in the Fieta Bowl hype. It seems that only middle-aged or geriatrics can and do attend the BSU football games.
Does anyone know how many tickets to home games are disbursed to fee-paying full-time students?
Jan 3, 2010, 4:50 pm
I was at the University of Washington back in the 80’s when they routinely went to the Rose Bowl. They spent a bundle on the coach, expanded the stadium, upgraded facilities, built a separate practice field. The works. They made the same claims the JAT, JP, the Chamber, and just about everyone else in Boise with an opinion makes, namely; a winning team brings in a ton of money, spend whatever it takes.
Well, last year the Dawgs had sunk to 0-12. No one claims they bring in money anymore. In fact, the team is now a major drain on the rest of the university.
The moral of the story is: Be careful how deep you mortgage your future. Red ink is just an injured quarterback, a couple of dropped passes, and a 9-3 season away.
Jan 3, 2010, 9:44 pm
I don’t really care what coaches are paid, primarily because the vast majority of the money for highly paid coaches comes from private donations and sponsor contracts.
Jan 4, 2010, 1:59 am
JP- Not all bowl finances are rosy. Last year WAC members spilt a $1 million loss to send BSU to the Poinsettia Bowl. http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/story/1028136.html
The other interesting tidbit where the extra funds come to pay these coaches. Many funds come from organizations like the Bronco Athletic Assoc( BAA). BAA is not a State funded or mandated organization but yet they control season ticket priorities at the stadium. The more you “donate” to the BAA the better the seats. 80% of that donation is tax deductable too.
Jan 4, 2010, 7:32 am
I’m sorry but I disagree with the huge salary. Look what it got us in the cooperate world. Look what it got Colorado when they bought Hawkins. I’m one that believes we put a cap on the wages we pay all these college coachs as well as the administrators. $200,000 maybe even less. It would put all these colleges on the same playing fields.
Will we lose talent? No where else would they go. Lets invest all this money in education not coachs.
Jan 4, 2010, 12:13 pm
The market speaks, and it is safe to say we are paying below market value for Coach Pete’s services. Envy is truly one of the saddest human conditions.
Jan 4, 2010, 1:21 pm
Got to agree a bit. I am sure that it does bring in money, but most if not all of that money is re-invested in the athletics programs. When I went to BSU, I was appalled at the equipment available for use in the biology department, not to mention some of the science “labs”. I was supposed to learn anatomy/physiology and biology from barely identifiable specimens older than the professor?
And I read how universities are cutting their academic programs, for example ISU dropped their Paramedic Program for monetary reasons, and if I recall, BSU did the same many years ago (the program was just about to start, but never did).
Programs that have a real positive impact on their communities. Strangely, no one is cutting back the funding for the athletic programs for either of these schools.
I would have a different opinion if many programs were not in such dire straights.
If you are going to use athletics as an income producer, reinvest some of it (I did not say “all”) in the academic portion of the school. Academic scholarships, better equipment, needed degrees and programs. After all, it is a university right?
A ****STATE***** run university, with public dollars, should put communities and academics first, not ESPN.
Jan 6, 2010, 5:43 pm
I completely agree that many universities are propping up athletic programs that are money-losers.