Shawn Clark, the former Mountaineer offensive lineman (1994-1998) turned coach, is heading into his fifth full season in charge of the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Fresh off a 9-5 campaign that ended with a 13-9 win over Miami (Ohio) in the Cure Bowl, Clark has amassed a 35-18 record since taking over from Eli Drinkwitz before the New Orleans Bowl in 2019.
One of the few Sun Belt veterans left as others leave in droves, Clark is now an elder statesman in the conference. Let’s look at Clark’s salary, contract length, and net worth as the Mountaineers’ head coach.
Shawn Clark’s Salary and Contract in 2024
Clark’s guaranteed annual salary ($425,000) seems low for an FBS coach at first glance, but a monthly retention bonus ($22,085) and an annual personality rights payment ($260,000) more than double it for 2024 to $950,020.
His salary is the same as when he was hired following the 2019 season, but his contract was restructured following a 10-3 record in 2021. He received increases to his monthly retention bonus and personality rights payment, while extending the deal through 2026. Clark’s initial contract was set to expire following the 2024 season.
The monthly retention bonus, paid every month he is still employed as the Mountaineers head coach, increased by $7,085 each payment to $22,085, up from $15,000 before the extension in 2021.
Clark nets $265,000 from the retention bonus every year Appalachian State employs him, equating to $1,325,100 if he remains through the life of the contract.
His personality rights payment was increased by $15,000 annually after the extension in 2021, and increases an additional $25,000 each year after that, netting Clark $260,000 for 2024. If he stays until the contract expires after 2026, he’ll make $1.3 million from personality rights payments.
Adding that to his salary means Clark would be paid $4.75 million from when he signed the extension in 2021 to when it expires in 2026.
- 2024 base salary: $425,000
- Monthly retention bonus: $22,085 ($265,020 annually)
- 2024 personality rights payment: $260,000
- Total: $950,020
There are plenty of incentive-based bonuses in Clark’s contract that can pay him extra, but no more than $455,000 a year if all the benchmarks are met.
- Team’s APR equal or greater to 950: $20,000
- Team GPA above 3.0: $12,500
- Team GPA above 2.7: $7,500
- Home game ticket sales increase 5% or more: $15,000
- P5 road game on schedule: $20,000
- Win eight games:$25,000
- Win nine games: $35,000
- Sun Belt Championship appearance: $30,000
- Sun Belt Championship win: $60,000
- Non-New Year’s Six bowl appearance: $30,000
- Non-New Year’s Six bowl win: $20,000
- New Year’s Six bowl appearance: $30,000
- New Year’s Six bowl win: $15,000
- College Football Playoff appearance: $75,000
- College Football Playoff win: $50,000
- National Championship: $75,000
- Sun Belt or National Coach of the Year: $25,000
Clark’s Net Worth
If Clark stays for the duration of the contract to 2026 and meets all the parameters for the incentive bonuses, his current contract would net him $7,025,100. He was paid $750,000 in 2020 and $775,000 in 2021 for his first two seasons as Mountaineers’ coach, making his head coach deal potentially worth $8,550,100 over its entirety.
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As an assistant coach for 11 years at Purdue (2009-2012), Kent State (2013-2015), and App State (2016-2019), he made an additional $1,384,343, averaging out to $125,849 annually from 2009-2019. His salary as the offensive line coach at Louisville (2003-2008) isn’t available, but adding those six seasons would likely put his net worth north of $10 million.
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