University of Washington offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Grubb received his second raise in a two-month span and is now scheduled to earn $2 million per season through 2025, per a department source. Here’s what you need to know:
- Washington has never paid an assistant more than $1.4 million, which former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake earned in 2019.
- Grubb had already agreed to a new deal in November that extended his contract through the 2025 season and would have paid him $1.45 million, $1.55 million and $1.67 million over the next three years, respectively.
- The Houston Chronicle reported Saturday that Grubb was on the “wish list” of Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher as a potential replacement for fired coordinator Darrell Dickey.
- Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken were believed to be the only assistants earning $2 million in 2022, though several others have in the past (Knowles’ salary is $1.9 million, but USA Today reported additional compensation that brought his pay above $2 million).
Backstory
Hired by first-year coach Kalen DeBoer in December 2021, Grubb originally signed a two-year deal worth $1.02 million annually. Amid a remarkable offensive turnaround that saw the Huskies average 40.8 points per game — with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. leading the nation in passing — Grubb signed a contract extension that already would have made him the highest-paid assistant in school history.
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Continued pursuit from other programs spurred a second bump. In addition to interest from Texas A&M, Grubb also indicated during an interview last week with KJR 93.3 FM that he had received overtures from other schools about becoming a head coach, which remains a goal of his.
“I just think that I’m on a path right now, and I feel very committed and dedicated to being the best O-coordinator in the country with the best offensive staff, and that’s exactly what we’ve got here,” Grubb told KJR.
“I think this is a Playoff team. That’s what this is. Why would you leave when you have a chance to get to the pinnacle?”
What does this mean for Washington?
It sends the message that the school is willing to spend at an elite level in order to retain talented coaches, and is another step to ensure that Grubb will be at UW until a head-coaching opportunity arises. It also is another indication of the trust and respect between Grubb and DeBoer, who first hired him as an assistant at then-NAIA power Sioux Falls in 2007. The two also worked together at Eastern Michigan and Fresno State, where Grubb worked as OC from 2019-21, first under Jeff Tedford and then under DeBoer.
In addition to locking up Grubb (again), Washington has received positive news from several key players who have announced in the past month that they plan to return to school in 2023. It began with Penix, and receiver Jalen McMillan, left tackle Troy Fautanu, edge rushers Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui and defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa have announced similar decisions. The Huskies are still awaiting a decision from receiver Rome Odunze.
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(Photo: Joe Nicholson / USA Today)
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