By Jennifer Smola, The Columbus Dispatch, and staff
COLUMBUS – No, Urban Meyer is not the highest-paid employee of Ohio State University.
OSU salaries are now searchable in an online database, the school announced Thursday.
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Meyer was actually second to men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann as the review of the salary data shows Ohio State employees within athletics and its medical center topped the list of employees with highest total compensation.
Top 10 Highest-paid OSU employees
1. Chris Holtman, men’s basketball coach $5.7 million
2. Urban Meyer, head football coach $5.3 million
3. Michael Eicher, Sr. VP Univ. Advancement $2.5 million
4. Thad Matta, former basketball coach $1.9 million
5. Gene Smith, athletics director $1.6 million
6. Dr. Michael Caliguri, former CEO James Cancer Hospital $1.6 million
7. Michael Drake, university president $1.25
8. Geoffrey Chatas, Sr. VP, Finance $1.1 million
9. David McQuaid, CEO Wexner MC $1.08 million
10. Dr. K Craig Kent, dean, College of Medicine $1.06 million
Source: Columbus Dispatch
In all, 11 OSU employees earn at least $1 million, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
Holtmann was paid the most at Ohio State in 2017 with $5.7 million in total compensation, according to university data. About $4.7 million of that compensation was in bonuses, including a one-time, lump-sum payment of more than $2 million plus the taxes on it to satisfy Holtmann’s buyout to Butler University for leaving his contract there early to join the Buckeyes last June.
Meyer — who has since been approved for a raise — was close behind Holtmann in 2017 with $5.3 million in total compensation. Under his new contract extension, Meyer is set to receive $7.6 million annually moving forward, making him the highest paid coach in the Big Ten and third in the nation.
Dr. Michael Caligiuri, former CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and director of the university’s Comprehensive Cancer Center; Dr. K. Craig Kent, dean of the College of Medicine, and David McQuaid, chief executive officer of the Wexner Medical Center, also were among the top 10 highest-paid employees last year, with total compensation ranging from about $1.1 million to $1.5 million.
All non-student employee salary information is available on Ohio State’s human resources website, “breaking new ground for transparency among public universities in Ohio,” the university’s announcement said.
Users may search total compensation — including base salary and other financial incentives — by name, department, title or salary range. Alternatively, users can download data spreadsheets which contain bonuses, overtime, deferred compensation, vacation and sick leave, in addition to base salary information.