Financial Scenario Modeling
College Coaching Buyout Simulator
Simulate the exact cost to terminate any NCAA head coach as of any calendar date. Explore step-down schedules, daily amortization savings, and future employment mitigation offsets.
Interactive Financial Modeler
Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost
See how contract amortization, date milestones, and mitigation clauses reduce buyout liability over time.
TE
Mike ElkoUntouchable
Texas A&M • SEC • Contract thru 2031-12-31
Annual Salary
$7,000,000
Current Buyout (Today)
$21,875,000
Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (1932 days remaining on contract)
Or pick any exact date:
Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16
$21,875,000
Official USA Today Verified Buyout
Savings by Delaying to This Date
$0
Natural amortization saves $16,290 / day
If Coach Leaves Voluntarily
$4,000,000
Amount coach / hiring team owes Texas A&M
Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)
Important: Mike Elko's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, Texas A&M is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!
Contract Calculation Formula:
USA Today FOIA benchmark: $21,875,000. Salary and buyout aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline. Source confirms extension terms.
💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$2.98M.
Why does the date matter so much in coaching buyouts?
1. Daily Salary AmortizationBecause coaches are paid on monthly or bi-weekly cycles, every single day that passes pays out a portion of their annual base and supplemental salary, naturally reducing the remaining guaranteed liability.
2. Contractual Step-Down DatesMany deals (such as Dabo Swinney’s contract at Clemson) have contractual cliffs on January 1st or December 1st where buyouts instantly drop by $5M to $8M overnight.
3. Hiring Windows & MitigationWaiting to fire a coach until the coaching carousel is active in December makes it much more likely the coach lands a new coordinator or head coaching job quickly, triggering the duty to mitigate and saving the university millions in offsets.