Hardened Criminals/NCAA

Truthfully, perhaps I never saw a basketball game played with more passion than last night's Michigan versus Louisville NCAA National Championship game. Louisville won, Michigan played well, the commentators overanalyzed, and everyone on the East Coast went to bed a bit later than usual.

The rest is bad news. Not that it is the fault of the coaches, but a lot of them make a lot of money and their institutions do as well. Last night's winner, Louisville, took in more than $40 million last year. Coach Pitino made nearly $5 million. The players get an education. At Louisville, one year costs about $23,000. Four years would add up to $92,000. Of course, in state tuition would be much less, and financially challenged families like those of many basketball players would also qualify for a lot of assistance.

Here are two salary charts:
The Highest Paid College Basketball Players:
All of Them – $0

The Highest Paid College Basketball Coaches:

• Mike Krzyzewski – Duke: $4.7 million
• Rick Pitino – Louisville: $4,812,769 (Base salary $3.9 million, $912,769 bonus)
• Billy Donovan – Florida: $3.639 million
• Tom Izzo – Michigan State: $3,598,700 (Base salary $3.12 million, $477,800 bonus)
• John Calipari – Kentucky: $5,387,978 (Base salary $4.987 million, $400,400 bonus)
• Bill Self – Kansas: $3.633 million
• Thad Matta – Ohio State: $3.2 million
• Buzz Williams – Marquette: $2.834 million
• Jim Calhoun – Connecticut: $2.7 million
• Rick Barnes – Texas: $2.4 million
• Matt Painter – Purdue: $2.325 million
• Sean Miller – University of Arizona: $2.3 million
• Tom Crean – Indiana: $2.240 million
• John Beilein – Michigan: $2.206 million
• Bo Ryan – Wisconsin: $2.175 million
• Bob Huggins – West Virginia: $2 million
• Kevin Stallings – Vanderbilt: $1.922 million
• John Thompson III – Georgetown: $1.894 million
• Anthony Grant – Alabama: $1.8 million
• Dana Altman – Oregon: $1.8 million
• Tony Bennett – Virginia: $1.78 million
• Scott Drew – Baylor: $1.76 million
• Roy Williams – North Carolina: $1.71 million
• Josh Pastner – Memphis: $1.69 million
• Frank Haith – Missouri: $1.6 million
• Frank Martin – Kansas State: $1.56 million
• Jim Boeheim – Syracuse: $1.521 million
• Leonard Hamilton – Florida State: $1.5 million
• Gregg Marshall – Wichita State: $1.45 million
• Mike Montgomery – California: $1.45 million
• Jim Larranaga – Miami: $1.3 million
• Mick Cronin – Cincinnati: $1.25 million
• Mark Gottfried – North Carolina State: $1.2 million
• Shaka Smart – Virginia Commonwealth: $1.19 million
• Steve Alford – New Mexico: $1.089 million
• Mark Few – Gonzaga: $1.056 million
• Greg McDermott – Creighton: $1.025 million