Tide Coaches Get Raises

The nine on-field members of the Alabama coaching staff have received contract raises that were approved by the UA System Board of Trustees on Monday, including the Crimson Tide’s newest assistants. Inside linebackers coach James Willis signed a two-year deal that includes a salary of $235,550 in his first season since arriving from Auburn, along with a $16,038 signing bonus. Outside linebackers coach Sal Sunseri, who previously coached for the Carolina Panthers, has a three-year deal that begins at $325,000. The Crimson Tide coaching staff under Nick Saban - the only coach not to receive a new contract Monday - now earns a total of $2.685 million. By contrast, the Tennessee staff earns a total of $3.325 million, the most in the Southeastern Conference.” – Birmingham News

Pelini Gets Extension at Nebraska

Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini signed a contract extension Monday following a 9-4 season, boosting his annual salary to $1.85 million. The contract runs through the 2013 season and makes him the sixth-highest paid coach in the Big 12. When Pelini was hired by the Cornhuskers in 2007, his five-year contract called for a salary of $1.1 million a year. “I hope to be in this position for a long time and help get this program back to the top of college football,” Pelini said. Athletic director Tom Osborne announced the extension, praising the progress made under Pelini in such a short time. The Huskers shared first place in the Big 12 North and beat Clemson 26-21 in the Gator Bowl. “We are confident he has our program moving in the right direction,” Osborne said. – Fox Sports

A Remarkable Journey for Wayne Bolt

In the winter of 2006, Wayne Bolt weighed 520 pounds. His health was slowly deteriorating. Everyday tasks were a challenge. Today, he weighs 215 pounds. Bolt, named Auburn’s director of football relations last week, no longer takes the pills that were once a daily part of his life. He no longer has difficulty walking from one place to another. His life has been transformed. – AuburnUndercover.com

Tebow deals with Threats in Philippines

Tim Tebow was born in the Philippines and visits the orphanage every spring break. Tebow returned to Gainesville safely, just in time to be the first player on the field Wednesday. Christianity isn’t popular in Mindanao. Taking death threats from LSU fans two years ago pales in comparison to preaching in Muslim and Communist areas. Bob Tebow, Tim’s father, said he was once held at gunpoint by the New People’s Army, a Communist rebellion group. Tim has been exposed to some of the dangers, Bob said, but his son downplays the adventures. “There are a lot of places in Florida that are dangerous too,” Tebow said. “There’s risk anywhere. It was a great trip. I loved it.” Just like his 20-yard scampers, Tebow has no fear when he takes a 30-hour trip to the Philippines. That’s just the way he was taught as a Christian by his father. For the Tebows, the concept of heaven is better than life on earth. – Sun-Sentinel

Gundy Has Not Signed OSU Extension

Nearly four months after Oklahoma State and football coach Mike Gundy agreed on a seven-year deal worth a total of $15.7 million, Gundy still has not signed the contract. Gundy says there are no problems with the terms of the contract. The specific amount of his 2009 compensation, along with the bonus structure and buyout information, will not be known until the university releases details of the contract. That will not happen until Gundy has signed it. “I just haven’t gotten around to getting it signed, but I will soon,” Gundy said. “Once it comes through, I can’t imagine there will be any issues. It’s just a matter of getting it done. It’s a lot of paperwork.” Said athletic director Mike Holder: “It just takes a while to get a contract done. There are no problems.” – Tulsa World

Gophers Ready to Raise Curtain on New Stadium

Is Minnesota ready for the curtain to rise? The Gophers will unveil their new 50,300-seat, on-campus home–TCF Bank Stadium–Sept. 12 against Air Force. Though a 7-1 start decayed into a 7-6 final record, the Gophers return quarterback Adam Weber and the league’s top pass-catcher, Eric Decker. Shoulder surgery will shelve Weber this spring, allowing backup MarQueis Gray to begin to justify comparisons to Vince Young. – Chicago Tribune

Ole Miss No Longer a Sleeper Under Nutt

Ole Miss football coach Houston Nutt has a message for his players as spring drills approach. The Rebels will deal with a considerably higher profile in 2009, Nutt’s second season with the team. “I’ve told them they’re on the radar. Last year, (the Rebels) were under it,” Nutt said. “You could sneak into The Swamp, get a victory (over Florida, which went on to win the BCS national title) and get out This year, you’re going to have a bull’s-eye on your back.” That’s because Ole Miss won its last six games, including victories over LSU and Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl, to finish 9-4. Some national publications are already pegging the Rebels as a possible Top 10 team. Jevan Snead returns as the quarterback, and talent is in ample supply, but Nutt is intent on starting anew with this team. – Sun Herald

New Book Gives Scrutiny to Power Struggle at Georgia

A new book scheduled to be released Tuesday in Atlanta paints a not-so-favorable picture of University of Georgia President Michael Adams and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. “Behind the Hedges: Big Money and Power Politics at the University of Georgia,” written by the late Rich Whitt, a former Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner, examines the internal power struggle between Adams and athletics director Vince Dooley and how the controversy resulted in the split between the Board of Regents and the UGA Foundation. By all accounts, Adams is made out to be the bad guy. “Adams doesn’t come out looking too good but everybody looks complicit,” said Suzanne La Rosa, publisher of NewSouth Books of Montgomery, Ala. “As a publisher I wanted a balanced account of the story and this is a solid work by Rich Whitt. What I love about it most is it’s not pointing fingers. It shows a collective failure on the part of the educational system and everyone is implicated, including the governor of the state of Georgia.” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gators Battle Complacency

The Gators return 18 starters from their national championship team from 2008. It’s almost the exact same group that worked harder and stayed focused after rallying behind Tim Tebow’s famous speech. Many of them have two championship rings. They know coach Urban Meyer’s program and know what it takes to be a winner. So the Gators know how to stay hungry after two national championships in three years, right coach? No chance of complacency? “No chance? Big chance,” Meyer said Wednesday after the Gators opened spring practice for the 2009 season. “It’s our job not to let that happen.”— Palm Beach Post

Pelini Sets Sights Higher in Second Year

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said standing in place after nine wins and a few pats on the back is not an acceptable option for his second season. “Thinking back to different places where I was entering Year Two, I expect to make a big jump this year,” Pelini said. “We were our own worst enemy a lot last year. We need to fix us and I think we have a good idea on how to get that done. If we can stay consistent, I think we have a shot to be a lot better. We gave up a lot of big plays, and it wasn’t always the offense beating us. I have high expectations.” – Journal Star

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