Alabama’s Rees, Steele both to make $1.9M this season Maryland adds Josh Gattis, Zac Spavital to coaching staff Iowa athletics department to cover full race bias settlement

TASCALOOSE, Alabama – Alabama offensive coordinator. Tommy Rhys and defense coordinator Kevin Steel each will earn $1.9 million next season.

The two were among 11 Alabama employees whose new contracts were approved by the university’s board of trustees compensation committee.

Rees and Steele both entered three-year contracts, with Rees receiving a promotion to $2 million in his second year and $2.1 million in his third year after arriving from Notre Dame. Steele returned for the third time as a coach Nick Sabanafter serving as the Miami Hurricanes’ defensive coordinator last season.

The next highest paid assistant coach is the offensive line coach. Eric Wolford ($925,000) and assistant head coach/wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins ($875,000). All transactions, except coordinators, are for two years.

–Freddie Roachline of defense ($775,000).

–Robert Gillespierunningbacks ($625,000).

–Coleman Hutzlerspecial teams/outside linebackers ($595,000).

–Joe Coxtight ends ($425,000).

– Robert Bala, inside linebackers ($350,000)

— David Ballou, Director of Athletic Performance ($725,000)

–Bob Weltondirector of player personnel ($255,000).

Reese, Steele and Bala are the newest additions to the Saban, whose team missed the playoffs for only the second time last season. Bill O’Brien left to become offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. Pete Golding moved to Southeastern Conference, West Division opponent Mississippi State to run Lane Kiffinprotection.

Bala replaced Austin Armstrongwho was hired as Florida’s defense coordinator shortly after being hired as an assistant in Alabama.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland hired Josh Gattis as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.

Gattis joins the Terrapins after one season as Miami’s offensive coordinator. He was fired after the team went 5-7. Prior to this, Gattis had been offensive coordinator in Michigan. He received the Broyles Award for the country’s best assistant in 2021.

Maryland announced the hiring on Thursday and also announced the addition Zach Spavital as a safety coach.

Gattis worked with a Maryland coach Michael Loxley when they worked in Alabama in 2018. Gattis joins Kevin Sumlinwho was hired as coordinator of the joint offense in Maryland earlier this offseason.

And Enosthe previous offensive coordinator in Maryland, was hired for the same job in Arkansas.

Spavital has spent the past four seasons as a defensive coordinator at Texas State and has also coached at Texas Tech, Houston, and Oklahoma.

“The addition of Josh and Zach really bolsters our already strong coaching staff,” Locksley said. “Josh and I have a strong relationship and a proven track record of working together on a major crime. We have a lot in common with him, and the transition should be very smooth.

“Zak comes to us with a history of defensive involvement that has been a huge success, especially when it comes to aggression and tackling the ball.”

Iowa City, Iowa. A racial discrimination lawsuit filed against the University of Iowa by former football players will be settled with school funds instead of taxpayer money covering half of the $4.2 million deal, the university’s president said Thursday.

President Barbara Wilson ended the original plan, which included a $2 million withdrawal from the state’s general fund, after listening to public concerns and consulting with the Board of Trustees, she said in a statement.

The university’s athletics department will reimburse the state for $2 million, according to The Des Moines Register.

The state’s Board of Appeals approved the plan to use taxpayer funds for the settlement in a 2-1 vote on Monday. Board member and state auditor Rob Sand voted against the proposal, saying the university’s athletics department had the funds to fully settle.

Then on Wednesday, Iowa lawmakers introduced a bill that would require athletics departments at Regents State universities to reimburse the state for any settlement costs that lawmakers did not budget for.

The lawsuit was filed in November 2020 by 12 former black players, including the star runner. Akram Wadley and host of career receptions Kewonte Martin-Manly. They claimed they were humiliated with racial slurs, forced to give up black hair, fashion and culture to fit in with the “Iowa way” promoted by the coach. Kirk Ferencand retaliated for the statement.

The players initially sought $20 million in damages, as well as the dismissal of the athletic director. Gary BarthaFerenc and his son and offensive coordinator Brian Ferenc.

Sand agreed that Bartha should be fired, noting four discrimination cases totaling nearly $7 million in damages under Bartha’s supervision.

“I can’t imagine a private company that, after four discrimination lawsuits under this man, is still in the driver’s seat,” he said at his press conference on Monday.

Wilson declined to discuss whether Bartha would be fired.

Kirk Ferenc said he was “very disappointed” with the settlement and how it was handled. He said that “the initially named parties disagreed with the settlement decision, fully believing that the case would have been dismissed with prejudice pre-trial.”

He added that the coaches were excluded from the trial and “there is no admission of any wrongdoing.”

Damario Solomon-Simmons, a Tulsa-based civil rights attorney who represented former players, criticized Ferenc for his comments, saying that Black Hawkeyes players will continue to be at risk of harassment “as long as Kirk Ferenc is at the helm.”