BOONE — Appalachia State football coach Shawn Clark is expected to stay on for two more years after a contract extension through 2026, the school announced Wednesday, Dec. 15.
Clark’s previous contract – signed in 2019 – was due to expire at the end of 2024. Although the extension will not see an increase in Clark’s $425,000 annual salary when it takes effect on January 1, the coach will see bumps in incentive compensation.
Even without a raise, Clark will still be App State’s highest-paid coach. Men’s basketball coach Dustin Kerns earns second place with $325,000 per year and women’s basketball coach Angel Elderkin rounds out the top three with $195,000 per year.
Although Clark may top ASU’s salary rankings, his $425,000 a year is still dwarfed by other college football coaches in North Carolina. Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson earns $3.6 million, NC State’s Dave Doeren earns $3.5 million, and East Carolina head coach Mike Houston earns $2.3 million per year.
Part of Clark’s extension is a monthly retention bonus that allows him to pay $22,085 each month if he hasn’t given the school notice of termination. Clark previously received a monthly retention bonus of $15,000.
The increased monthly retention bonus in the new contract is equivalent to an additional $7,085 per month and will see Clark receive $1,325,100 on top of his normal salary should the contract end in 2026.
Another big bonus from the expansion is school payments for using Clark’s name, likeness, image, voice, and signature — collectively dubbed his “personality rights.”
The extension gives Clark an additional $15,000 per year for his personality rights over his previous contract, and will earn him $210,000 in 2022. Clark’s personality rights increase by $25,000 each year after 2022.
The termination without cause clause has also been adjusted. If Clark is fired without cause before December 1, 2022, the school will pay him $5 million, which will then drop to $3 million, $1 million, $500,000, and $250,000 in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively. The only change in the numbers was a drop from $1.5 million to $1 million in year three.
Changes to the No Cause Termination Clause were also used for the Coach Termination Clause, should Clark leave before the end of overtime.
The majority of the changes to the extension’s compensation plan are incentive-based.
Academic performance plays a role in the contract, with Clark receiving $20,000 – up from $15,000 – if the team’s academic progress rate is 950 or higher. A team’s APR is a measure of odds and student-athlete graduation rates, according to the National College Athletic Association, with a perfect score of 1,000.
The most recent NCAA APR report came out in May 2020 and states that the average APR for an FBS football team was 968. The most recent year available from the NCAA is the 2018-19 academic year , saw the Mountaineers 10th among all college footballers. teams in North Carolina with an APR of 955.
Clark will also receive $12,500 for each semester (fall and spring) where the team’s cumulative grade point average is above 3.0. If the GPA is above 2.7, but below 3.0, Clark will instead receive $7,500 per semester.
The two GPA-related incentives reflect increases of $7,500 and $5,000 per semester, respectively.
A $20,000 bonus will also go Clark’s way if the Mountaineers play against a school from a Power Five conference in the opponent’s stadium — double what he was previously expected to receive.
Team Achievement Bonuses include:
- $30,000 for a Six Bowl appearance other than New Years.
- $20,000 for a win in a Six Bowl other than New Years.
- $30,000 for a New Year’s Six Bowl appearance (excluding college football playoffs).
- $15,000 for a win in a New Year’s Six Bowl (non-CFP).
- $75,000 for a CFP appearance.
- $50,000 for a CFP win.
- $75,000 for a CFP National Championship.
Among the post-season competitive success incentives, the CFP’s appearance, win and national title bonuses increased by $25,000, while other incentives increased by $5,000.
If the Mountaineers win their division and make it to their conference championship game, Clark will receive $30,000, and if they win, he will receive an additional $60,000. The incentives reflect increases of $5,000 and $10,000, respectively.
A conference or national Coach of the Year award will net Clark $25,000, an increase from $20,000.
If the Mountaineers win at least eight games in a season, Clark will receive $25,000. On top of that, Clark would receive $35,000 if the team won a ninth game.
In Clark’s original contract, he was to receive $25,000 for a ninth win, but there was no incentive for the eighth.
Ticket sales are also factored into Clark’s extension, with a $15,000 bonus on the table if ticket sales for all home games increase 5% from the previous year.
If Clark honored the contract for all five years, it could be worth up to $7,025,100 with the maximum number of incentives met.
