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Illinois OC Rod Smith in line for $200K pay increase
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After his first season in Champaign, Illinois offensive coordinator Rod Smith is in line for a $200,000 pay increase, according to The News-Gazette.
Smith completed his first season as the offensive play-caller for the Illini, and a significant improvement was seen under his leadership, particularly in the run game. Last season, Illinois averaged 243 yards per game on the ground, ranking second in the B1G.
That average was more than double what the Illini scraped together on the ground last year, averaging a measly 105 yards per game. Illinois also saw improvements in scoring offense, total offense and number of explosive plays under Smith’s guidance.
With the $200,000 increase, Smith is set to make $700,000 in the 2019 season and will bump to $750,000 for the 2020 campaign.
According to The News-Gazette, all seven full-time assistants on the Illinois staff received one-year contract extensions through Jan. 31, 2021. Some salaries were adjusted to keep some staff members in place after receiving other offers.
Following the end of the 2018 season, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman added a two-year extension to head coach Lovie Smith’s contract, keeping him in Champaign through Jan. 31, 2024.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB