
How much do they make? NJ basketball coach salaries, stacked up
Another year, another Cinderella story (or two!) out of the Garden State to kickoff March Madness.
The 15th-seeded Princeton Tigers have made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA men's basketball tournament — for the first time in the Ivy league university's history (the Sweet 16 started in 1975). It's also Princeton's first Regional Semifinal since 1967, as reported by CBS Sports.
There was also the first-round stunner of Fairleigh Dickinson University toppling first-seeded Purdue.
New Jersey is home to eight colleges or universities with NCAA Division I athletic teams (Rutgers, Seton Hall, Princeton, Fairleigh Dickinson, NJIT, Rider, Monmouth, Saint Peter's).
Here's how those men's basketball coach paychecks match up, based on the most recent data and reports.
NJ basketball college coach salaries
Fairleigh Dickinson
As Fairleigh Dickinson University toppled #1 Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament, they were led by coach Tobin Anderson, who was hired by FDU in May 2022 — leaving his coaching job at St. Thomas Aquinas. Anderson's salary was not publicly confirmed at the time.
Previous FDU coach Greg Herenda signed a multi-year contract extension in 2019 — as of that year, he was paid roughly $257,000, with base salary and other compensation, as reported by Asbury Park Press.
Fresh off making headlines with FDU, Tobin Anderson took a new job in New York’s Hudson Valley.
Anderson was hired to lead the men’s basketball program at Iona University in New Rochelle.
His replacement at FDU was announced as Jack Castleberry, who was promoted from assistant coach.
Castleberry had also arrived at FDU in May 2022, as a member of Anderson's staff.
Seton Hall University
Shaheen Holloway returned to his alma mater to take over as head men’s basketball coach to much fanfare in Spring 2022, after leading St. Peter’s University to the Elite 8.
He also upped his salary to the tune of eight times more — earning $2.4 million a year, according to the New York Post, for a six year span.
Before Holloway's arrival, previous SHU head coach, Kevin Willard had already signed on with Maryland, for a bigger paycheck ($3.9 million this season "with a $100,000 escalator each year," as reported by the Baltimore Sun).
Saint Peter's
Fresh off the Peacocks' historic NCAA March Madness run of 2022, Saint Peter's University said goodbye to coach Shaheen Holloway, who returned to his alma mater, Seton Hall.
With the departure of Holloway, St. Peter’s University hired Bashir Mason in May 2022.
Mason had most recently been head coach at Wagner College; he started his career at high school alma mater, St. Benedict’s Prep of Newark. Mason was also a stand-out college player at Drexel University.
Holloway was paid just over $266,000 in the 2019 year, according to USA Today’s annual sports salary survey and ABC News. That included salary and bonuses.
While Mason's hiring salary was not publicly confirmed, analysts speculated it would be a bump up from what he made at Wagner, which reportedly was upwards of $222,400.
Rutgers University
Rutgers University men’s basketball coach Steve Pikiell earned $2.6 million as of the 2022 season, as reported by the Asbury Park Press.
Under a four-year, $16 million contract extension, his salary increases to $3.75 million in 2025-26, the same report said.
Even with the new deal in place, USA Today this month ranked Pikiell among its top five underpaid men’s basketball coaches, citing “either their recent runs of success or impressive track records,” as based on USA Today’s annual survey.
Monmouth University
Monmouth University — which was defeated by Saint Peter’s to kick off the 2022 historic March Madness run — paid its men’s basketball coach more than twice as much in recent years.
According to the Asbury Park Press, before signing a contract extension in 2021, King Rice received $575,000 total compensation for the 2019-20 season.
Rider University
Rider University paid its men’s head basketball coach Kevin Baggett roughly $381,000 in salary and additional benefits in 2019, as reported by The Rider News.
That made him the second-highest-paid employee at the university, according to the same report.
NJIT
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) paid men's basketball coach Brian Kennedy $235,000 in 2019, according to public records as cited online.
Princeton
Princeton University has reportedly been on the low end of coach salaries among Division 1 schools, though the salary of Mitch Henderson has remained shrouded in mystery.
Before this season's excitement, Henderson was already the third-winningest coach in program history as of last year.
The head coaches of men’s teams at the Ivy League university make a rough average of $161,500.
However, Henderson’s salary has not been publicly available.
He was one of five NCAA Tournament coaches whose pay was not listed in 2017, according to USA Today and Asbury Park Press.
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Erin Vogt is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at erin.vogt@townsquaremedia.com
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