How much do Muscogee County football coaches make compared to others? Check out this list.
Head high school football coaches in the Muscogee County School District earn lower salaries and lower coaching supplements than many coaches in similar-sized districts, according to records the Ledger-Enquirer obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act.
A coach’s pay is based on numerous factors in Georgia, including experience and education degree level. Athletic head coaches in the GHSA must be a professional teacher, or hold a four-year degree while also employed in a teaching or administrative position, according to the GHSA’s 2019-2020 constitution.
The Ledger-Enquirer obtained salary information of all head football coaches at public high schools from Muscogee County, Bibb County, Richmond County and Savannah-Chatham County schools. Here is how they stack up:
THE SUPPLEMENTS
High school football head coaches at Muscogee County’s public schools earn a $6,000 annual supplement for the first five years, and $7,500 each year after that. Those who double as athletic directors earn a $3,500 supplement for the first five years and $4,400 each following year.
Two head coaches in Columbus, Al Pellegrino of Shaw and Corey Joyner of Carver, also serve as athletic directors.
In Bibb County School District, supplements vary. Head football coaches earn supplements ranging from $8,000 to $13,000. Three coaches in the district earn $10,000 supplements.
Five of the six coaches in Savannah-Chatham County School District earn $8,875 head coach supplements, with one coach earning a $6,508 supplement.
Five coaches in Richmond County earn a $10,000 “football supplement,” while Academy of Richmond County head coach Lyle Burns earns an $11,996 supplement. Butler head coach Myron Newton earns an $11,476 supplement.
THE NUMBERS
The Muscogee County’s eight head football coaches make an average of just over $62,000, well above the average salary for the district’s more than 4,000 full-time employees.
The average annual salary for the MCSD’s 4,442 full-time employees is $43,685. The median salary for the MCSD’s full-time employees is $41,705. The median household income in Muscogee County for 2018 was $45,389, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Here are the base salaries of MCSD’s eight head football coaches, compared with the coaches in separate districts.
The salaries listed do not include any supplements.
All salary figures were obtained from the respective school districts under the Georgia Open Records Act. Bold denotes a coach from MCSD.
Sheddrick Risper, Westside High (Macon) head coach: $82,701.
Rusty Easom, Rutland High (Macon) head coach: $78,126.
Paul Caroll, Howard High (Macon) head coach: $73,530.
Joseph Dupree Jr., Southwest High (Macon) head coach: $69,483.
*Isaac Ferrell, Windsor Forest High (Savannah): $68,469.
Al Pellegrino, Shaw: $68,186.
Phil Marino, Columbus: $68,186.
Robert Sanders, Spencer: $68,186.
James Latimore, Groves High (Garden City): $66,690.
Kyle Hockman, New Hampstead High (Savannah): $66,690.
Lyle Burns, Academy of Richmond County (Augusta): $62,773.
Andre Slappey, Kendrick: $62,407.
Jeremy Wiggins, Northeast High (Macon): $60,348.
Myron Newton, Butler High (Augusta): $59,443.
William Harrell, Hephzibah High (Hephzibah): $59,443.
Kenderrick Bonner, Johnson High (Savannah): $58,885.
Joaquin Sample, Central High (Macon): $59,128.
- Corey Joyner, Carver: $58,997.
Michael Woolridge, Hardaway: $58,997.
Joe Kegler, Jordan: $58,997.
Monte’ Dilworth, Cross Creek (Augusta): $55,464.
- Dave Nurnberg, former Northside head coach: $54,829.
- Brandon Tull, Glenn Hills (Augusta): $53,991.
Robert Zoller, formerly Islands High (Savannah), transferred to DeRenne Middle effective Oct. 15, 2019: $53,940.
- Jason Cameron, Jenkins High (Savannah): $52,210.
- Rashad Dunn, Laney (Augusta): $50,959.
- John Starr II, Josey (Augusta): $46,701.
- Jonathan Wiley, Westside (Augusta): $41,221.
* = last day with the district is Friday, Jan. 24.
FULL MCSD SALARY DATABASE
The Ledger-Enquirer’s full database of MCSD salaries is available here.
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 1:08 PM.
