Former NAU head coach Jack Murphy received an 81 percent pay boost to $335,000 to leave the Lumberjacks and become Arizona's associate head coach for the next two seasons, according to a notice of appointment obtained by the Star under a public-records request.
Murphy was contracted to pay NAU a buyout equaling one year of his previous $185,400 annual salary if he left before the end of his contract in April 2020. It is unclear if Murphy or UA paid the buyout and an NAU spokesman was unable to confirm what happened.
Arizona offered Murphy a two-year appointment through the 2020-21 season for $335,000 annually, and he will have to pay $25,000 if he leaves before the end of the term.Β
Murphy's salary is between that of UA's two previous lead assistant coaches. Lorenzo Romar made $400,000 in 2017-18 and Mark Phelps was making $275,000 last season.
Phelps was removed from the staff in February 2019 over allegations of academic fraud and UA let his contract expire at the end of June after initially moving to fire him.
Murphy went 78-149 over seven seasons at NAU before leaving in June. He was initially given a five-year contract paying $180,000 annually and his contract was extended through 2019 in 2014, after the Lumberjacks finished second in the Big Sky during the 2013-14 season.
Murphy was given a raise in early 2014 from $180,000 to $185,400 as part of adjustments to salaries for NAU administrators.
In November 2016, the Arizona Board of Regents approved another extension that put Murphy through 2019-20, with the one-year coach buyout provision.Β
Murphy's new UA notice of appointment was dated on June 14 and signed until Aug. 26. The Star filed a records request on June 4 for Murphy's salary terms and it was returned Wednesday.
