Let's be real for a minute. In today's world of high stakes college football, Randy Edsall would be out the door after his first two seasons sent the Terps program spiraling downwards. Ralph Friedgen won 10 games in his final season. The success that James Franklin has had at Vanderbilt while Edsall has failed to qualify for a bowl game, or even win 10 games in two seasons in addition to the mass player exodus has only compounded the situation. Fortunately, Edsall has Maryland's debt to thank for his job security.
According to the Washington Post, the Maryland athletic department is $21 million in debt and will remain in the red until at least 2017. Edsall's buyout is $8 million, and the program owes the ACC money to pay off thie $52 million conference exit fee. so he's Terps fans are likely stuck with him for a few more years.
Via Washington Post:
The commission found that the Maryland athletic department operated at a deficit of more than $21 million for the past academic year because of two reasons: “past financial decisions” that led to continuing debt and the ACC’s withholding of roughly $15 million in revenue. The conference began withholding the revenue last year as part of its efforts to collect a $52 million exit fee from the school, which maintains that the fee is illegal.
According to the report, the university has loaned the athletic department — which has a goal of being self-sufficient — upwards of $21 million to overcome the deficit, with additional loans of $20 million potentially required if the ACC continues to withhold revenue. The loans are funded by the university’s Non-State Auxiliary Funds, which are collected from school-run programs such as parking tickets and dining services, according to a university spokesman.
