Report: Notre Dame Football Head Coach Brian Kelly Compensated $2.1 Million in 2016

Coach Brian Kelly received $2.1 million in 2016, including a $600,000 bonus in a season where the Notre Dame Fighting Irish finished 4-8, according to an examination of a newly released IRS filing by the Indianapolis Star.

Kelly’s $2.1 million in compensation was more than anyone else’s salary within Notre Dame’s athletic department, except Mike Brey, who the newspaper said received $2.4 million two years ago. The university paid its head basketball coach $1.27 million and Brey received an additional $1.15 million from Play by Play Sports, the multi-media marketing rights holder for Notre Dame.

Basketball seasons don’t mirror calendar years, but Brey’s teams went 29-11 in 2016, which included an Elite Eight appearance in March.

Muffet McGraw, the women’s basketball coach, earned $1.7 million, the newspaper said, including $1 million in base pay, $300,000 from Play by Play Sports and more than $200,000 in bonuses. Her teams went 34-3 in the 2016 calendar year which, again, does not mirror the basketball season.

Brian VanGorder, the football team’s former defensive coordinator, received $1,195,289, the Star said. That figure includes a $257,000 buyout after he was fired in late September after a turbulent 1-3 start.

Jack Swarbrick, the university’s athletics director, received $1.6 million in 2016 after receiving more than $3 million the previous year. His bonus dropped from $970,000 in 2015 to $200,000 in 2016, the Star reported.