DETROIT — For the second straight year, the Gophers football program must replace a coordinator who left for a bigger payday at a fellow Big Ten program.

It’s not all about the Benjamins, but salary has played a significant role in the key departures on both sides of the ball.

Last year, offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca went from earning $1 million at Minnesota to $1.4 million at Rutgers.

Earlier this month, defensive coordinator Joe Rossi went from a $1.1 million salary at Minnesota to Michigan State for a payday believed to be in the ballpark of $1.5 million to $1.7 million per year, the Pioneer Press understands.

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said he plans to hire a new DC in early January. He is relying on current defensive assistants to lead the unit against Bowling Green in Tuesday’s Quick Lane Bowl.

The Gophers have increased the salary pool for assistant football coaches in recent years — including a total of $1 million in 2021-22 — but more is needed as they have lost staffers to other middle-of-the-pack Big Ten teams.

Gophers Athletics Director Mark Coyle told the Pioneer Press the department must continue to make strides in this area.

“There is no doubt that we have to continue to grow our salary pools for all of our coaches, not only football, but for all our sports because that is a big part of it,” Coyle said in an interview. “We’ve got to do that because that continuity is so important.”

Rossi’s salary at Minnesota checked in at 43rd-highest in the nation in 2023, while Ciarrocca’s current compensation at Rutgers was 22nd in the country.

“We’ve got to figure out,” Coyle said. “as we hire the new coordinator, to continue to have the resources in place to be very competitive in a very competitive conference.”

For perspective, the Big Ten has the second- and third-highest paid assistants in the nation. Incoming Big Ten member and College Football Playoff entrant Washington is paying Ryan Grubb $2 million to be its offensive coordinator. Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is making $1.95 million a year.

Further down the list at No. 19 was former Michigan State offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, of Lakeville, who was making $1.4 before the Spartans hired head coach Johnathan Smith and he brought in new staff.

The Gophers, who have had increased revenue from Big Ten media rights deals, have been spending more on football during Fleck’s tenure. Coyle noted they are spending approximately $15 million more on football than they did seven years ago. In the meantime, Fleck’s pay has gone from an annual salary of $3.5 million in 2017 to current $6 million.

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