University of Minnesota head swimming & diving coach Kelly Kremer has received a contract extension through the 2027-2028 season, which includes a significant increase to his base salary.
Beginning next season, Kremer will make a base of $145,000 each season. That is an almost-$20,000 raise from his previous contract that ran from 2021- through 2024 and paid him $125,247 per year.
Kelly Kremer‘s Contractual Salary Timeline:
- 2006-2008: $%8,905 (co-head coach)
- 2008-2011: $67,200 (co-head coach)
- 2011-2014: $90,000
- 2014-2017: $111,000
- 2017-2018: $116,050.50
- 2018-2019: $122.791
- 2021-2024: $125,247
- 2024-2028: $145,000
His new raise is a bigger increase than the totality of his raises from the decade prior.
The new agreement also includes a significant number of performance incentives not to exceed 40% of his base salary ($58,000). While many of those incentives are the same, and all are of similar scale, there are several key changes to Kremer’s benefit.
For example, under his current contract, Kremer only receives a bonus for a top 12 team finish at the NCAA Championships, something that neither team has done since the 2018-2019 season when the women finished 11th. Starting next season, he’ll receive bonuses for each top 25 finish, something that the men have done at every championship since 1990 and the women at every championship since 2006.
There was a tradeoff that very high finishes (top 10) will receive a lower bonus.
Kremer’s New Bonus Structure
- Big Ten Women’s Championship – $12,000
- Big Ten Men’s Championship – $12,000
- NCAA Team Finish (highest category per gender compensated)
- NCAA Participation (8 or more participants) – $1,000
- NCAA Finish 21-25 – $1,000
- NCAA Finish 16-20 – $2,500
- NCAA Finish 11-15 – $7,000
- NCAA Finish 6-10 – $12,000
- NCAA Finish 2-5 – $15,000
- NCAA Champions – $20,000
- Coaching Honors
- Big Ten Women’s Coach of the Year – $2,500
- Big Ten Men’s Coach of the Year – $2,500
- National Women’s Coach of the Year – $5,000
- National Men’s Coach of the Year – $5,000
- Academic Performance (highest category per gender compensated)
- APR 950 or above – $250
- APR 975 or above – $500
- APR 990-1000 – $750
- Women’s Cumulative Team GPA of 3.39 or higher – $750
- Men’s Cumulative Team GPA of 3.29 or higher – $750
Among other benefits, Kremer also receives a stipend of $400 per month toward a car or the use of a university car.
Last season, the Minnesota women finished 5th at the Big Ten Championships and 17th at the NCAA Championships, both of which were their highest placements since 2019. The men, led by NCAA Champion Max McHugh, were 5th at Big Tens and 21st at NCAAs. That Big Ten finish was also their highest placement since 2019.
McHugh won his third-consecutive NCAA title in the 100 breast, among four total in his career (he also won the 200 breast in 2021). He also swept the breaststroke races at the Big Ten Championships for the third consecutive season.
The University of Minnesota also gave several members of its coaching staff, including Kremer, promotions in the offseason, though none of those title changes came with new contracts.
Kremer, a Minnesota native, has been with the program for 26 seasons, including 13 as an assistant, associate head coach, and co-head coach before becoming the full head coach of the combined program in 2011. As an athlete, he was 5th in the 100 back at the 1991 US Open and raced at the 1992 US Olympic Trials. He was a 24-time NAIA National Champion and 29-time NAIA All-American at Drury and is in the school’s Sports Hall of Fame.
I was going to say that over 10 years, he’s at a pretty standard 3 percent cost of of living increase. But adjusted for inflation, this is just about a $2k increase over his salary in 2014. Kind of depressing, that.
Interesting that the women’s GPA bonus is for a higher GPA than the men’s. 🙂
Women typically have higher GPAs than men. I’m sure someone in the legal department figured out that the women’s team averages .1 higher per semester than the men’s team to make the goals equivalent.
I hope that he can get some more recruiting done from the class of 2025; hardly anyone has committed to Minnesota. If Minnesota coaches can’t get swimmers to swim for them there won’t be anyone to coach
So, head director of swimming coaches
Many factors can affect a program’s results. One illustration is the article immediately adjacent to this one, which reflects a win by Big10 squad Minnesota against DII University of Tampa. Certainly can be seen as a way to sweeten the win-loss stats.
Looks like they are training in the Tampa area. Probably just convenient and good for training to get a meet in. Don’t think it’s that serious or for “sweetening the win-loss stats”
I haven’t checked lately, but there used to be a rule requiring teams to actually compete while on training trips. Not allowed to just take the team on a trip with no competition. Whether it’s still a rule or not – that’s where some of these offbeat meets come from.
As of 2019 I believe it is no longer mandatory to compete while on training trip. Though many teams still do, just for fun / to break up the monotony of days and days of doubles.
It’s a rule. Mandatory to compete on a training trip in order to receive certain levels of funding for travel. Essentially, if the team only holds practice, the team budget and/or individual members pay more of the costs. That’s why there’s always a tournament / game when other sports travel to train as well (basketball, baseball, etc.).
Money money moneyyyyy
MONAYYYY
No SwimSwam Coach of the Year Bonus?? haha!
He’s kept the program scandal-free, so there’s that.