by Daily Camera

The latest craze is a spending spree on assistants. It's the kind of turn in the ever-escalating arms race that will make more than a few athletic directors cringe -- then grudgingly open their wallets as they try to keep up with the big boys.

Assistant coaches today are commanding numbers that would have been considered insane for most head coaches just 10 years ago. Top-tier programs -- and those that aspire to join that group -- are bidding openly against each other for coordinators and position coaches.

The message is clear: if you can't beat 'em, outspend 'em.

It was almost exactly 10 years ago that Rick Neuheisel left Colorado for Washington, where he was given an eye-popping, mind-boggling deal that paid him roughly $1 million per year. His deal left the college football world reeling.

Last week, Washington lured defensive coordinator Nick Holt away from Southern Cal, using a three-year, $2.1 million deal as the carrot.

To put that into perspective, figure this: Colorado's top two assistants, offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich and defensive coordinator Ron Collins, both made just under $218,000 this season. And, neither one of those coaches has a contract, but must work on a year-to-year basis.

Meanwhile, nearly the entire Alabama staff makes as much or more than CU's highest-paid assistants.

Washington's Holt isn't even the highest-paid assistant in the land.

Not even close.

Copyright 2009 Daily Camera and Boulder Publishing, LLC All Rights Reserved
	Terms & Conditions     Privacy Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.