New University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne is making $900,000 per year, The Tuscaloosa News has learned.
Byrne’s salary was revealed through an open records law request. His monthly salary is $75,000.
The salary will make him among the top dozen or so highest-paid athletics directors in the country. Vanderbilt’s David Williams, who is the school’s vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs, is the top-paid executive over a collegiate athletics department at $3.24 million per year, according to the latest data published by USA Today.
Louisville’s Tom Jurich is reportedly making $1.4 million, followed by Barry Alvarez of Wisconsin at $1.14 million, Nebraska’s Shaun Eichorst at $1.127, Ohio State’s Gene Smith at just under $1.1 million, Jack Swarbrick of Notre Dame and Joe Castiglione of Oklahoma at just over $1 million and Florida’s Scott Stricklin at $1 million.
Duke’s Kevin White is making a reported $906,000 per year, with Byrne’s salary on par with Jeff Long of Arkansas, James Pollard of Iowa State and Dave Branden of Michigan.
The new athletics director started work on March 1. He previously served in the same capacity at the University of Arizona.
A previous open records request revealed that Alabama, through its Crimson Tide Foundation, paid the Turnkey Search firm $100,000 to head the search to find a replacement for Bill Battle, who retired after four years as director of athletics. The firm was also paid $6,700 in related expenses.
Byrne’s contract has yet to be submitted to the UA Board of Trustees Compensation Committee. His salary will have to be formally approved by the board.
