There's money in Iowa

In the world (probably you and) I live in, the bosses get paid more than the employees. That's kind of been the system since dinosaurs roamed the earth.

So where are the presidents of the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa on this list of the top ten highest-paid state employees for 2010? That's total compensation, by the way.

Where are the athletic directors? How awkward is it to supervise someone who makes eight times more than you do? That's Gary Barta's situation at Iowa with his football coach, Kirk Ferentz. ISU football coach Paul Rhoads makes almost 2.5 times as much as his boss, athletic director Jamie Pollard.

Where is the governor of Iowa, for that matter?

I blew it. When I was younger I should have either become a physician or an instructor of a game.

Here are the top 10:

1. Kirk Ferentz, University of Iowa head football coach, $3.86 million

2. Jean Robillard, UI vice president for medical affairs, $1.28 million

3. Paul Rhoads, Iowa State University head football coach, $1.1 million

4. Todd Lickliter, former UI head basketball coach, $883,333

5. Fran McCaffery, UI head basketball coach, $873,600

6. Fred Hoiberg, ISU head basketball coach, $808,333

7. Paul Rothman, UI dean of College of Medicine, $805,942

8. Mark Iannettoni, UI professor and head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, $780,323

9. Ken Kates, UI associate vice president of medical affairs, $719,666

10. James Davis, UI associate professor of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, $663,537

UI President Sally Mason made $486,000. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad's salary is $130,000.