On March 27, 2017, Indiana University named Archie Miller as the 29th basketball coach in the school’s history. To most fans, a new hire’s contract is of little interest beyond wanting to know how much the coach will be paid (for Miller, it’s a $550,000 base salary plus between $1.65 million and $1.95 million for University marketing/promotion income plus the potential of an assortment of performance bonuses).

But, in between boilerplate legal jargon and cliché platitudes about upholding University values, coaching contracts are typically filled with quirks and perks that are often unknown to the general public.

Thus, let’s take a closer look at some of the more interesting clauses in Miller’s contract. IndianaHQ received a copy of the contract via a public records request.

1. Miller receives a $125,000 bonus if Indiana’s opponents meet certain KenPom rankings.

Specifically, this bonus is received if “no more than one regular-season non-conference opponent” on IU’s finalized schedule had an Adjusted Efficiency Margin ranking above 300 on Ken Pomeroy’s rankings as of the date of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show from the previous season. However, the contract notes that multi-team tournaments (such as the Maui Invitational) are excluded from this requirement. Interestingly, when the contract was originally signed, the criteria was RPI.

In April 2019, the contract was amended to replace RPI with KenPom rankings. Similar clauses are becoming more prominent in coaching contracts as the NCAA has begun to put more emphasis on opponent’s strength of schedule when deciding NCAA Tournament seedings.

2. Indiana provides Miller with a $125 per month stipend to cover cell phone expenses.

From recruiting to following a player’s activities on social media, a cell phone is a necessity in today’s world of college hoops. Thus, an extra $1500 per year to cover these expenses is a minor drop in the bucket in relation to its importance. It’s just another example of a savvy move by Miller and his agent to include this detail in fine print. 

3. Miller has a $10,000 allowance each year for Adidas apparel.

Indiana inked a $53.6 million deal ($6.7 million per year) with Adidas in 2015, so it’s no surprise that Miller would have a hefty allowance on apparel in the wake of such a lucrative agreement. That’s potentially 45 pairs of Yeezy 350s.

4. Miller’s contract is also loaded with several other perks, including cars, unlimited use of the golf course, free sporting event tickets, and free tickets/travel to games for all of his children under 21.

Within the contract, it is agreed upon that Indiana will provide two “late-model” automobiles on loan for Miller. The agreement states that the University will work with him to try to obtain automobiles that are “mutually acceptable” to both parties. Comprehensive auto insurance is also included.

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Another perk is unlimited family use of the IU golf course. The University will even cover all accompanying expenses, including green fees, golf carts, and range balls.

IU also provides several ticket perks for Miller and his family. Indiana will cover all expenses for Miller’s spouse and all children under 21 that want to attend basketball away games (include pre-season and post-season tournaments). Similarly, for every home IU athletics sporting event, Miller has the option to receive 8 free tickets. All he needs to do is request the tickets and they will be available to him.

5. In order to do commercial endorsements, Miller must obtain permission from Indiana’s Director of Athletics.

Beyond Indiana-sponsored endorsements upon which he is compensated between $1.65 and $1.95 million per year under the contract, Miller is free to pursue commercial endorsements and outside income, as long as it is not in conflict with his University obligations and he obtains written advanced approval from the Director of Athletics.

It is noted that approval by the Director of Athletics will not be “unreasonably withheld,” seemingly indicating that the majority of these requests will be approved.

The contract also stipulates that Miller may identify himself as Indiana’s coach but must not use any University logos or trademarks in these non-University sponsored endorsements. Miller must disclose annually all of his outside income in a written report to both the President of the University and the Director of Athletics by April 15 each year. He must also make any records available to administrators, if requested, to verify these totals.

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