MAC Men’s Basketball Coach Salaries (2026–27)
Compensation for the head coach at every Mid-American Conference (MAC) men’s basketball program, from contracts, public records and news reports for the 2026–27 cycle. Each figure is labeled with how well it is confirmed. Women’s programs: MAC women’s basketball coach salaries.
Key numbers
- Median head coach pay: about $455,000 across the 12 programs with a figure ($450,000 without UMass). Central Michigan is excluded because its coaching situation is unsettled.
- Range outside UMass: $325,000 to $850,000. UMass (Frank Martin, $1.83M reported) is the outlier. Miami (Travis Steele, $850,000 base) is second.
- Five head coaches were hired in March 2026 (Akron, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois). None of their contracts have been published; the figures are ranges and reports.
- Base salary can understate total pay. Miami adds a $150,000 retention bonus to Steele’s base every year. Buffalo’s Halcovage earns $325,000 base but about $445,000 on average with supplemental pay. Toledo’s Kowalczyk earns $361,000 base and $225,000 in marketing pay.
Head coach pay by school
| School | Head coach | Pay | Basis | Source | Contract / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMass | Frank Martin | $1,830,000 | Total | Partly confirmed | $1.0M base from 2022 contract records; plus $150k annual retention bonus and media pay. Through 2028–29 |
| Miami (OH) | Travis Steele | $850,000 | Base | Contract | Plus $150k retention bonus each year; through May 2034 |
| Ohio | Jeff Boals | $696,000 | Total | Unconfirmed | Reported as $350k base + $346k marketing. His 2019 contract listed a $581k base, so the split may have changed |
| Toledo | Tod Kowalczyk | $586,000 | Total | News report | $361k base + $225k marketing; sources differ on the end date (2027–28 or 2030) |
| Kent State | Rob Senderoff | $500,000 | Base | News report | Extension through 2030–31 |
| Bowling Green | Todd Simon | $461,250 | Total | Unconfirmed | Contract runs through March 31, 2030 |
| Akron | Dustin Ford | $400,000–$500,000 | Range | Unconfirmed | Named March 30, 2026. His predecessor, John Groce, earned about $850,000 in base plus supplements |
| Western Michigan | Kahil Fennell | $350,000–$400,000 | Range | Unconfirmed | Hired March 2026; replaced Dwayne Stephens |
| Ball State | Chris Capko | $350,000–$400,000 | Range | Unconfirmed | Named March 20, 2026; predecessor base was $335k |
| Eastern Michigan | Billy Donlon | $350,000–$380,000 | Range | Unconfirmed | Named March 17, 2026. One report says a six-year deal worth at least $400k a year |
| Northern Illinois | Matt Majkrzak | $330,000 | Base | Unconfirmed | 5-year contract, March 2026; one public source lists the same figure |
| Buffalo | George Halcovage III | $325,000 | Base | News report | 5-year deal averaging $445k a year with supplemental pay that rises $10k annually |
| Central Michigan | Andy Bronkema | Not disclosed | — | — | Hired April 2025. On leave since Nov. 5, 2026; Raymoan McAfee is interim head coach |
Rows are sorted by the figure used for ranking: exact pay where disclosed, otherwise the midpoint of the reported range. “Total” includes marketing, media and supplemental pay. “Base” is salary only. Source: “Contract” means the signed contract was read; “News report” means a news outlet reported the figure; “Unconfirmed” means we found no second source.
What the numbers show
- Don’t compare base to total. Buffalo ranks last on base ($325,000) but its roughly $445,000 average package is in the middle of the league. Toledo’s base ($361,000) is below Kent State’s ($500,000), but its total ($586,000) is $86,000 higher.
- Supplemental income is a negotiating item. Supplemental pay is about 27% of Buffalo’s average package and 38% of Toledo’s. Miami takes a different route: a flat $850,000 base with a $150,000 annual retention bonus.
- Incentive structures are published at Miami. Steele earns one month of base salary (about $70,800) for each of: 20 regular-season wins, a regular-season conference title, conference coach of the year, national coach of the year, a conference tournament title or NCAA Tournament bid, and each NCAA Tournament win through the fifth round. A national title pays two months.
- The March 2026 hires are priced below the previous tier. Akron’s range ($400,000–$500,000) is well under the roughly $850,000 John Groce earned. Eastern Michigan’s range ($350,000–$380,000) is at or below the $380,000 package of the coach it replaced, though one report puts Donlon at $400,000 or more.
- Contract length varies from two years to eight. Toledo’s deal runs through 2027–28 or 2030, depending on the source. Miami’s runs through May 2034.
Staff pay below the head coach
Assistant and operations pay is rarely public. This table lists only figures taken from documents: Miami (OH) publishes its coaches’ contracts, so its figures are exact salaries. We hold additional staff figures for other schools, but they could not be confirmed against contracts or payroll records, so they are not shown.
| School | Title | Salary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami (OH) | Associate Head Coach | $155,000 | Contract |
| Miami (OH) | Assistant Coach | $150,000 | Contract |
| Miami (OH) | Assistant Coach | $120,000 | Contract |
| Miami (OH) | Assistant Coach / General Manager | $84,872 | Contract |
| Miami (OH) | Assistant Coach / Director of Operations | $53,045 | Contract |
| Miami (OH) | Seasonal Assistant Coach | $26,000 | Contract |
Miami’s assistant coaches earn $84,872 to $150,000, its associate head coach earns $155,000, and its director of operations (who is also an assistant coach) earns $53,045. One assistant’s $150,000 comes with a separate $12,500 taxable reimbursement.
Data notes
- All 13 schools are public universities, so contracts and payroll are public records, but most are not posted online.
- Miami (OH) figures come from the 2026–27 contracts the university publishes on its athletics public-records page.
- Akron, Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan are institutional ranges for coaches hired in March 2026, not signed-contract figures. Treat them as estimates until contracts are released.
- Central Michigan’s pay is not shown. The previous coach, Tony Barbee, was fired in April 2025, and no report of Bronkema’s contract terms was found.
