New Iowa volleyball coach Jim Barnes’ contract has higher pay, longer duration than predecessor’s

Barnes comes to Iowa with 24 years of experience as college head coach, versus Brown’s one year

Jan. 10, 2022 1:02 pm, Updated: Jan. 11, 2022 1:51 pm

Jim Barnes addresses the media at his first press conference as head coach of the Iowa volleyball program on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — New Iowa volleyball head coach Jim Barnes will be making more than his predecessor.

Barnes will earn a base salary of $210,000, according to his contract obtained by The Gazette through a public records request. That increases to $225,000 in the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Former head coach Vicki Brown, who was the only Black head coach on campus, had a base salary of $185,000 in her five-year contract with longevity pay incentives ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 for each year she was still head coach starting in 2020.

Barnes’ seven-year contract includes similar longevity raises starting in 2024. Both head coaches signed contracts with academic and athletic incentives. The academic incentives mirror each other, but Barnes’ on-court incentives start at seven Big Ten wins in a season instead of 10 and are worth less than Brown’s incentives.

The pay difference is reflective of Brown and Barnes’ different levels of experience as a head coach. Brown had one year of experience as a college head coach, compared to Barnes’ 24 years of experience.

Brown was fired on Nov. 4 in her third season leading the Hawkeyes.

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