Ben Jacobson, the longtime Northern Iowa Panthers head coach, is taking his talents to the mountains of Cache Valley. Before I dive into the contract breakdown (hat tip to Extra Points), I think this is a win-win for both institutions.
It’s also a win for Ben Jacobson, who gets a chance to be at a school with more resources and see if he can sustain, or even elevate, what has already been a wildly successful Utah State basketball program.
Several things caught my eye while reading Jacobson’s UNI contract, beyond the $0 buyout. But first, Jacobson can flat out coach. Jacobson, 55, has coached at Northern Iowa for 20 seasons, compiling a 397-259 record and leading the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament for a fifth time in 2025-26. He also took UNI to the Sweet 16 in 2010, when a certain guard named Ali Farokhmanesh led the Panthers. Mentor vs. mentee when Utah State and Colorado State meet next year.
Jacobson, who has had six addendums to his deal, signed a fresh rolling five-year contract in 2025.
“Contract shall commence on April 1, 2025 and shall terminate on March 31, 2030. Notwithstanding the foregoing, commencing on March 31, 2026 and each March 31 thereafter, the Term of this Contract shall be extended for one additional Contract Year.”
Jacobson has been through plenty of transitions, especially in the athletic director chair. He was hired by Rick Hartzell in 2006 and has worked under three athletic directors since 2020. That’s all while Northern Iowa, like many low- to mid-majors, has been trying to figure out its role in this new era of college athletics.
But while reading through the contract, a few things stood out as a little out of the norm and very coach-friendly. For what it’s worth, Jacobson has been worth every investment. The deal reads like a contract drafted by a school that wanted to ensure he was compensated and supported. And Jacobson, having worked through multiple administrations, probably saw enough budget shifts over the years to push for some of the following protections. My mind also goes to the constant “but I was promised by …” that lives in any workplace when somebody leaves.
Ben Jacobson’s Contract
Jacobson’s salary was $700,000 ($400k base, $200k media, and a $100k promo fee). He did have a $125,000 retainer due on April 1 of every year, but it was defined as a “longevity pay.” Additionally, his salary annually was based on the top three in the Missouri Valley Conference.
“If at any time Appointee’s annual Guaranteed Compensation is not among the average annual compensation of the top three coaches in the Missouri Valley Conference (“MVC”) (based on those numbers provided annually by the MVC), this Contract shall be renegotiated so that Appointee’s annual Guaranteed Compensation is among the average annual compensation of the top three coaches in the MVC starting the following Contract Year. If at any time it is discovered that the University is not in compliance with this grammatical paragraph, it is agreed that the University shall pay to the Appointee a make-up fee of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) within thirty (30) days of the discovery of such non-compliance.”
Then there is the vacation language. Across the coaching industry, regardless of sport, some universities have started classifying coaches in ways that limit or avoid vacation accrual payouts, largely because coaches come and go and rarely take time off, or even submit it for payout. But it appears Jacobson hit the magical cap at UNI, and because a coach can’t always realistically be forced to use that time, this was built into the deal:
“Vacation. Except as otherwise specified herein, the Appointee agrees to and must use any accrued vacation time prior to the effective date of the Appointee’s resignation or termination, or that vacation leave shall be forfeited by the Appointee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the University and Appointee acknowledge that as of April 1, 2024, Appointee had accrued vacation valued at $126,921.60 (“Accrued Vacation”). Upon Appointee’s departure from the University (under any circumstance), the University shall pay Appointee the Accrued Vacation amount. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Appointee has and will continue to receive annual vacation as per University policy. There is no additional liability for accrued vacation beyond what is noted in this Section 3(n).”
Jacobson was smart with his contract. Especially with multiple administration shifts, this was needed. He stipulated how many full-time assistants and support staff members he would have.
Beyond that, the deal also included a “Men’s Basketball Program Resource Structure” that, again, is spelled out in the contract regardless of who is in the administration (once again, he knew changes were happening and didn’t want to be cut).
It includes:
● $225,000 in funding to the men’s basketball program for one or more “buy” games in each season covered under the contract
● ensuring funding for participation in one multi-team event each season is covered under the contract that adheres to MVC scheduling requirements
● Ensuring funding for air charter travel for MVC regular season trips to Murray State, Belmont, Evansville, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, and Valparaiso each season, plus three additional charter flights at Jacobson’s discretion within the continental 48 states
● Ensuring funding for summer school tuition for scholarship student-athletes, up to 15 each year, including a room-and-board stipend of no less than 66% of the maximum institutional rate
● Ensuring full cost of attendance for all scholarship student-athletes on the men’s basketball team
● Using best efforts to ensure completion of a men’s basketball practice facility by October 2026, with the athletic director required to notify Jacobson of any anticipated delays
● Using best efforts to ensure annual revenue share/NIL funding for men’s basketball ranks in the top three of the MVC, with the athletic director required to notify Jacobson immediately of any anticipated shortfall and discuss solutions
Jacobson is a well-respected coaching veteran, and he did come with a cost. I can’t help but think of him a little like the NFL veteran who gets cut on June 1 because it saves the team money. This could be a great reset for UNI.
He inherits a machine at Utah State, an absolute machine, one that I think may have even deterred some candidates from getting too involved because even a coach who wins 22 or 23 games there can still fall below expectations.
I’m interested to see what the next coach at Northern Iowa gets, and what ends up being outlined in Jacobson’s USU deal, because these protections were spelled out very explicitly at UNI, and some of those same issues probably won’t come up in Logan.
