It's not rare at all for a high-level coach or athletics director to get a raise. It's the opposite of rare, in fact.
But those raises typically come in one of two forms: an extension or a brand new contract. Rarely does a school just.... hand a coach or an AD more money.
That's not the case at Texas, where AD Chris Del Conte is getting more money stuffed into his existing contract.
Hired away from TCU in December of 2017, Del Conte signed a contract through 2023-24 that started at $1.3 million a year and rose to $1.57 million. Now, according to Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, Del Conte will see his current salary rise to $1.54 million and topping out at $2 million without committing extra years to the university.
If anyone has earned such a kiss from his employer, it's Del Conte.
In 15 months on the job, Del Conte has spearheaded long-awaited efforts on a new basketball arena and a renovation to UT's football facility and south end zone. His staff has also reimagined the Texas football game day experience, while also hiring new track and softball coaches and pushing the Longhorns' revenue to a record $219.4 million.
With a College World Series trip and a Sugar Bowl victory in 2018, Texas believes it's on the verge of a new renaissance era, and Del Conte is being rewarded handsomely for it.