BG’s Clawson gets pay raise, 4 more years

1/29/2013

BOWLING GREEN — Bowling Green State University has reached an agreement with football coach Dave Clawson on a contract extension through the 2018 season.

The extension adds four years to Clawson’s original contract, which was signed when he took the job before the 2009 season.

University officials confirmed a salary increase for Clawson and said financial terms of the contract will be available once the contract becomes official. Last year Clawson was paid roughly $368,000 and earned $19,000 in incentives

By comparison, several Mid-American Conference schools recently hired new coaches that will receive salaries of at least $500,000 next season.

“I appreciate the confidence shown in me, and our football staff, by president Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey and our athletics director, Greg Christopher,” Clawson said. “Both Dr. Mazey and Greg have been extremely supportive in my time here, and they have made it clear the university has made a commitment to the future of BG football.

“We have built a solid foundation over the past four years, and I look forward to continuing to build and grow our program.”

Clawson and the Falcons are coming off an 8-5 season that included a 6-2 mark in MAC play and a berth in the Military Bowl. In four seasons at BG, he has compiled a 22-28 overall record and is 16-16 in MAC play.

In 2009, he inherited a Bowling Green program with 22 seniors that finished 7-6 and played in the 2009 Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl. When those seniors left, the Falcons fell to 2-10 the next year but rebounded to 5-7 in 2011.

Clawson also has improved the academic standing of the program, which was in the process of losing scholarships because of Academic Progress Rate issues when he arrived. This past fall the Falcons had a 2.8 team GPA, the highest semester mark since the school began tracking such numbers and the program’s third consecutive record for semester GPA.

Prior to BG, Clawson in two head coaching jobs first resurrected Fordham, boosting a Rams program coming off 12 straight losing seasons into NCAA playoff participants, then Richmond, which twice advanced to the postseason.

In 13 seasons as a head coach, Clawson’s career coaching record stands at 80-77.

“Dave has done a terrific job of rebuilding our football program,” Christopher said in a release. “We now have a solid foundation for continued success. Dave has not only instilled a winning culture, but he runs a first-rate program that represents the entire University in a positive fashion.

“This extension is about our commitment to Dave, the coaching staff and the entire football program.”

That commitment will include renovations to Perry Fieldhouse, including the installation of new FieldTurf prior to next season. The FieldTurf is the latest upgrade made in the past few seasons, including the addition of the Sebo Athletic Center, locker room renovations, the installation of FieldTurf in Doyt Perry Stadium and a high definition scoreboard.

BGSU has also started the master planning process for a comprehensive renovation to Doyt Perry Stadium.

Contact John Wagner at:

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Twitter @jwagnerblade.