Gopher Coaches Will Take Voluntary Pay Cut Amid COVID-19 Crisis

MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Mark Coyle announced Thursday that he and the university's five highest paid head coaches will take a voluntary 10 percent pay reduction for the first six months of the upcoming fiscal year to help offset budget impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group of coaches reducing their pay includes football coach P.J. Fleck, men's basketball coach Richard Pitino, women's basketball Lindsay Whalen, men's hockey coach Bob Motzko, and volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon.

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"I want to thank Lindsay, P.J., Richard, Hugh and Bob for taking a voluntary reduction in pay," said Coyle in a statement.

"This is the second voluntary reduction for all of us since April, and I appreciate their dedication to Minnesota and willingness to help in a time of financial uncertainty."

The University of Minnesota athletic department has so far lost $4 million since the start of the pandemic. It's projected it could lose up to $75 million in total, according to the Star Tribune.

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