GoGamecocks.com
Hyman earns 5-year extension
USC athletics director, however, will not receive bump in salary
Eric Hyman introduces new men's basketball coach Darrin Horn to longtime USC baseball coach Ray Tanner before a home game this past season. Hyman hired Horn and Dawn Staley to take over the USC men's and women's basketball teams in his two highest-profile appointments since becoming athletics director.
Gerry Melendez/gmelendez@thestate.com
CommentsEric Hyman received a vote of confidence Friday, although South Carolina’s athletics director did not get a raise.
USC’s board of trustees approved a five-year contract extension for Hyman, but they will keep his compensation package the same, at least until the economy improves.
Hyman, who arrived at USC from TCU in 2005, had one year remaining on his original contract that pays him a guaranteed $422,000 annually, plus a maximum of $75,000 in incentives.
The extension keeps him under contract through June 30, 2015.
Under the terms of his original deal, the 58-year-old Hyman receives $250,000 in a tax-deferred retirement plan if he remains at USC through the 2009-10 school year. A separate retirement plan will begin at that time, with USC contributing an additional $250,000 if Hyman stays at USC for the life of the contract.
“I think it was very important for the university to come forward and give him a sign of security,” USC president Harris Pastides said. “But it’s not the right time, in my opinion, to be offering a salary increase to anybody, frankly, especially those who are well compensated. That doesn’t mean there can never be one.”
Hyman’s base salary of $309,065 is more lucrative than Pastides’ $265,000 base. Pastides’ total compensation package, which includes a supplement from the university foundation and use of the president’s house, totals $535,000.
Hyman said he was appreciative of the extension and understood why he did not receive a bump in pay.
“It’s a tough economic time. I totally understand that,” he said. “I’m very grateful for the commitment the university has made.”
At least one board member had expressed interest in extending Hyman a year ago after Pastides succeeded Andrew Sorensen, who hired Hyman to replace Mike McGee.
But Pastides said he wanted to work with Hyman through “the ebbs and flows of an athletic season, the wins and losses, the implementation of the YES program,” and to see how fans responded to Hyman.
The past 15 months have been an eventful stretch for Hyman, who made his first two major coaching hires in basketball coaches Darrin Horn and Dawn Staley, broke ground on a $13 million academic center and oversaw the opening of the $35.6 million baseball stadium along the Congaree River.
Hyman also implemented the controversial YES program, a seat license plan at Williams-Brice Stadium that has incensed some fans and prompted them to give up their football season tickets. For the first time since 2000, USC does not expect to sell out of its season tickets.
Eddie Floyd, a longtime trustee from Florence, questioned Hyman about “bottom line” of the YES program at Friday’s board meeting and said he had been catching “flak” about the seat license plan from fans in the Pee Dee.
Jeff Tallant, the athletic department’s chief financial officer, told Floyd USC is down about $3 million in ticket sales and $1 million in Gamecock Club pledges but has brought in an additional $6.5 million in revenues from the seat fees.
“I think we ought to know if it’s successful. I think certainly the timing was wrong,” Floyd said after the meeting. “I don’t think we have anything to do with that. We just didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Floyd questioned whether the board did the right thing in approving the YES program last year, but conceded that “it’s done and we can’t go back.”
After a two-year study during which USC official visited 14 schools that had introduced similar fees, Hyman predicted a 3 to 5 percent attrition rate after the plan was implemented. Instead, he expects USC will lose about 10 to 12 percent of its season ticket-holders — a loss in line with what the other schools sustained.
“Unfortunately, the economy is the issue that nobody could forecast,” Hyman told trustees.
Floyd, who has been one of Hyman’s toughest critics on the board, said he was supportive of giving Hyman an extension.
“I think Eric’s done a real good job,” he said. “I think we’re in a tough time, and I think we’ve got to be real careful of how much debt we’re running up. ... I just think we need to be very careful with how we finance things.”
Tallant said the athletics department pays about $4 million a year in debt service, a figure that will jump to $6 million when USC begins construction on the next phase of the Roost village, which will house the academic center, new tennis facility and administrative building.
Meanwhile, Hyman said his extension speaks to the job the entire department has done.
“This is a reflection on the people in the athletic department,” Hyman said. “I think (university leaders) feel confident about what has been going on in the department, and some of the things we’ve tried to academically, athletic facilities, budget management, compliance and all those things.”
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.
Most Viewed Stories
- USC fends off Bulls' charge
- Last-second goal ends USC's soccer season
- Miami coach had brief USC tie
- USC wary of Spiller on kickoffs
- Norwood among final five on Butkus list
- Barnes Has Good Visit With USC
- Lattimore Sticking With Visit Plans
- Emerson: Hold off on wait and see coaches
- Big Tackle To Check Out USC
- Gamecocks' bowl bid needs 1 for the road
@Nyx.CommentBody@