I’m sure almost all of you already know that Gino Gradkowski verballed to WVU. That means, like his brother Bruce, he can later make Pitt’s world more difficult.
Gradkowski, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound offensive lineman, drove to Morgantown on Saturday to tell West Virginia coaches that he was picking the Mountaineers over Pitt.
“I liked the college atmosphere better at West Virginia,” Gradkowski said. “I had a gut feeling that I should be a Mountaineer, so I went with it.”
…
Gradkowski has cousins playing receiver at both Pitt (Joe DelSardo) and West Virginia (Carmen Connolly). Making Gradkowski’s choice even more difficult is that he developed relationships at both programs.
“Both schools were great situations for me,” Gradkowski said. “It was hard to make a choice. Both coaching staffs were great, and I knew I had a good situation no matter where I went. That was the hardest part, having to say no to one of them.”
The biggest difference from last year to this year is that Pitt is facing fiercer competition for the local kids. Last season, it almost seemed as if the other schools were completely caught off guard by how aggressive and quickly Pitt pursued and secured verbals. Not this year.
Yesterday, the Mountaineers finely (and wisely) locked up their head coach Rich Rodriguez for a few more years.
Negotiations for the extension between Rodriguez and West Virginia officials reportedly had stalled over Rodriguez’s request for a raise for his assistants, a promise for facilities improvements and a break from a $2 million buyout clause.
He got an increase in the compensation pool for his staff, although it is not known if it matches the $50,000 per man he wanted. The university also announced plans to renovate Milan Puskar Center, including the study center and locker rooms, dependent on fundraising.
It’s not known whether the Mountaineers lightened the buyout figure, although Rodriguez has long maintained he wants to remain at West Virginia for the balance of his career.
The issue of the buyout isn’t about leaving WVU, it’s about leveraging a bigger raise the next time they opt to renegotiate. With a high buyout, it is less likely another school will come in to make an offer that he couldn’t refuse. That reduces the competition for his services.
The extension puts him about 3rd in the Big East coaches pay.
West Virginia football coach Rich Rodriguez extinguished a host of rumors, including one that he was moving up the list to eventually replace Bobby Bowden at Florida State, by signing a three-year contract extension Saturday that will pay him at least $1 million a year.
Rodriguez earned about $850,000 in total compensation last season, including $185,000 in incentive bonuses.
Rodriguez’s new package still leaves him slightly behind Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt, who is expected to earn about $1.1 million entering his second season in the Big East.
…
West Virginia officials confirmed yesterday that Rodriguez signed the extension through the 2012 season. He will receive an additional $100,000 in deferred salary that will be paid in 2011, if Rodriguez remains the Mountaineers’ coach.
Rodriguez’s extension still contains a base salary of $150,000, but he also is guaranteed $850,000 in promotional income through Mountaineer Athletic Club appearances and television, radio, Internet and endorsements. The contract includes increases each year, Mountaineers officials said.
The contract also includes incentives for additional income through graduation rates, team grade-point averages, bowl appearances, Big East championships, season-ticket sales and summer camps, Pastilong said.
The top salary in the Big East is Bobby Petrino at Louisville pulling in nearly $1.4 million.
