Mr. Canner clearly has a background in law, not economics, or a willful ignorance of the latter. We’ve been over this before, but it’s worth getting him up to speed.

The issue is purely supply and demand. There are fewer major college coaching jobs than there are university professor jobs, and fewer qualified and desired candidates for those coaching jobs than there are qualified and desired candidates for professor jobs. The market price for the rare supply typically rises higher than the market price for the abundant supply.

Additional factors include anticipated replacement cost – that is, if Mike McIntyre were to leave, the cost to bring in a comparable replacement – and the perceived value he brings to the university. There are higher priced coaches, all at higher profile football programs, and lower priced coaches at lower profile programs. 


It’s a simple reality that has nothing to do with “priorities”.