Editor’s note: This is the second of two stories analyzing the contracts of Akron Zips men’s basketball coaches of past and present, John Groce and Dustin Ford. Part one focuses on how Groce’s old Akron contract compares with Ford’s new one. Part two focuses on how Groce’s new contract at the College of Charleston compares with his last deal at UA.
In the multibillion-dollar business of college sports, coaches often leave one job for another because of a big payday.
Show me the money, right?
But in John Groce’s case, he essentially bet on himself and the College of Charleston’s investment in men’s basketball. Groce informed the University of Akron on March 30 he would leave UA for Charleston after serving as Zips head coach for nine seasons. Later the same day, Akron hired a longtime Groce assistant, Dustin Ford, to succeed Groce.
When Groce discussed his departure from the Zips with the Beacon Journal a little more than two months ago, he said he didn’t want to comment directly on whether he left Akron due to a desire for UA to bolster its financial support for men’s basketball. Instead, he cited Charleston’s leadership and said the school represented “a great opportunity with great commitment, high care factor, investment and great resources.”
The Fear the Roo Collective founded by local businessman Bud Wentz has been the main financial force behind Zips basketball in recent years. Still, the collective is just part of the picture during the name, image and likeness era. UA, like other schools, has been permitted to pay its student-athletes through revenue sharing since July 2025.
According to a Sports Business Journal story published in 2025, Charleston athletic director Matt Roberts said he aimed to have between $2 million and $3 million for revenue share to aid Cougars men’s basketball. It’s a level the Zips did not reach during Akron’s Groce era.
“I believe that the other school offering a greater amount of money specific for revenue share did play a role in John making the decision he made,” Zips athletic director Andrew T. Goodrich told the Beacon Journal on March 30.
But did Groce chase a more lucrative paycheck, too? The answer can be found in Groce’s old Akron contract and his new Charleston term sheet, both of which the Beacon Journal obtained through public records requests.
Here are some details the documents revealed:
How long is John Groce under contract as Charleston men’s basketball coach?
Groce’s contract with Charleston is for five seasons and runs until March 31, 2031.
However, Groce’s deal states one additional year would be added to the initial length of the contract if Charleston were to earn an NCAA Tournament berth, a 25-win regular season or a Coastal Athletic Association regular-season title (outright or shared).
What is Charleston basketball coach John Groce’s salary?
Groce’s annual base salary at Charleston is $850,000.
But Groce can earn non-cumulative increases to his base salary on an annual basis through the following achievements:
What bonuses are in John Groce’s contract with Charleston?
Groce would twice receive a retention bonus of $75,000 if he were still employed by Charleston on April 16, 2029, and on March 31, 2031.
Here are incentives Groce could earn with the Cougars:
Want a sign of the times in college sports? Groce has a fundraising incentive in his deal on an annual basis. His term sheet reads: “A $10,000 bonus will be earned for each $100,000 of new cash donations … made to the Men’s Basketball Excellence Fund or Men’s Basketball STARR Fund. The bonus is not to exceed $30,000.”
How does John Groce’s old contract with Akron Zips basketball compare with his new deal with Charleston?
In Groce’s most recent contract with Akron, his annual base salary was $400,000 and his annual supplemental compensation was $450,000. The combined $850,000 equals his new base salary at Charleston.
In other words, Groce did not leave Akron because Charleston guaranteed him a larger income.
But if Groce succeeds at Charleston similarly to how he thrived at Akron, he would earn more money through incentives.
A review of the bonuses in Groce’s Akron contract and how they stack up against ones in his pact with Charleston is outlined below. At UA, Groce’s incentives were calculated as a percentage of his $400,000 base salary.
The two retention bonuses of $75,000 in Groce’s Charleston deal were also in his Akron contract. He earned one of them by being employed by UA on June 30, 2025.
Last season, Akron won the MAC Tournament title and thereby claimed the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, so Groce would have earned $60,000 and $40,000 for those achievements, respectively. Groce’s base salary, supplemental compensation, retention bonus due in the summer of 2025 and incentives for UA’s MAC tourney crown and ticket to March Madness account for $1.025 million he would have earned in roughly the past year.
However, clauses in Groce’s Akron contract state the following: Payments of bonuses will be made in June, and if the coach were to terminate the contract (which Groce did a few months ago), the university’s financial commitment to him would be limited to accrued but unpaid base salary and not include incentives.
Of note, Groce’s Akron deal did not contain a bonus tied to regular-season wins. As mentioned previously, 25 regular-season victories with Charleston would give him a $25,000 non-cumulative increase to his base salary on an annual basis. Groce would have reached the incentive in each of his final two seasons with the Zips.
Charleston agreed to pay John Groce’s buyout from Akron
Groce’s buyout agreement with Akron required him to pay UA $350,000 for terminating his contract with the Zips this year. Groce’s new deal reveals Charleston agreed to pay Akron $350,000 to satisfy the contractual obligation.
Groce’s new contract also stipulates he will receive a one-time stipend of $35,000 for moving expenses associated with relocating from Summit County to the Charleston, South Carolina, area.
From Charleston, Groce will receive a vehicle stipend of $500 a month in addition to a cellphone and data plan. At Akron, Groce received a monthly automobile allowance of $1,000. UA did not cover Groce’s phone, but it did provide him with a country club membership and monthly dues.
John Groce’s buyout agreements with Akron basketball and the Charleston Cougars
Groce’s deal with Charleston includes a buyout agreement, which is standard for college coaches.
If Charleston were to fire Groce without cause, the school would pay the coach in monthly installments the base salary he would have earned until the natural expiration of the agreement, which is set for March 31, 2031.
If Groce were to terminate the deal without cause prior to its expiration, he would owe Charleston the following amounts depending on the timing of the breakup:
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Former Akron basketball coach John Groce’s Charleston contract details
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
