Missouri will pay Cal $1.1 million buyout for Cuonzo Martin

Cuonzo Martin was introduced as the new Missouri Tigers head coach. You can watch the whole thing below if you’d like, although there’s really nothing there for a Cal fan to really be interested in.

The most important (and only relevant news Cal-wise) thing for the Bears is that Missouri will be paying off the $1.1 million buyout owed Cal for Martin leaving the Bears early in his contract. It adds on to the exorbitant contract the Tigers have made for Martin. There was also plenty of praise lauded on the Missouri athletic department and their support throughout the speech.

On one hand, Missouri did move quickly to secure a deal for the guy they wanted. And it’s certainly clear that Martin will get more support at Missouri than he’d ever get at Cal. The Tigers set aside $1.1 million for support staff, which can be used for assistant coaches and as many as six positions.

For those used to the lethargic pace of the Cal Athletic Department, Martin’s contract was printed out quickly as well.

Cal Athletics usually takes a few months to produce contracts of their coaches, since in general contracts require UC Regents approval. That makes them much slower to move than most athletic departments.

On the other hand, Missouri went above and beyond to get Martin an exorbitant deal. Kudos to his agent for pulling off seven years and $21 million. It’d be hard for me NOT to praise Missouri for making Martin one of the top ten publicly paid coaches in college basketball. So there’s that.