Editor’s note: This is the first of two stories analyzing the contracts of Akron Zips men’s basketball coaches of past and present, John Groce and Dustin Ford. Part 1 focuses on how Groce’s old Akron contract compares with Ford’s new one. Part 2 focuses on how Groce’s new contract at the College of Charleston compares with his last deal at UA.
A chance to save and reallocate money is one silver lining the University of Akron identified when the Zips changed men’s basketball coaches on March 30.
On the same busy day, former longtime Akron men’s basketball coach John Groce informed the Zips he would leave for the College of Charleston, and UA quickly responded by hiring Dustin Ford as Groce’s replacement.
The financial thinking is straightforward. Groce has been a college head coach for 18 seasons, including the past nine at Akron. It stands to reason his salary at UA would be significantly greater than Ford, a first-time college head coach.
Akron athletic director Andrew T. Goodrich told the Beacon Journal on March 30 the university planned to use the difference in coaching salaries to boost the amount of money it would earmark for paying basketball players through revenue sharing, a vital part of the equation in retaining and acquiring talent during an era of college sports dominated by name, image and likeness deals.
“[Ford’s] salary is going to be lower than John’s, right? We’re going to invest a big portion of that back into our rev share program that allows us to be more competitive,” Goodrich said then, without specifying dollar amounts.
So, how does Ford’s contract as Zips head coach compare with the most recent pact Groce had with Akron? The Beacon Journal obtained copies of the deals through public records requests.
Here are some details the documents revealed:
How long is Dustin Ford under contract as Akron Zips men’s basketball coach?
Ford’s contract runs through March 31, 2031, or one day following Akron’s final game of the 2030-31 season, whichever occurs later. Put another way, Ford’s deal is for five seasons.
What is Akron basketball coach Dustin Ford’s salary?
Ford’s annual base salary is $350,000. His annual supplemental compensation for “media work,” which includes radio and TV interviews and promotions, is $115,000.
In other words, Ford is making $465,000 a year without incentives.
What bonuses are in Dustin Ford’s contract with Zips?
Ford has the following incentives in his contract, with the agreed upon amounts calculated as percentages of his $350,000 base salary:
A stipulation is attached to Ford’s bonuses. He cannot receive them unless the Zips are eligible for postseason play in the same season the incentives are earned and their most recent Academic Progress Rate is at least 930. The last single-year APR result for UA men’s basketball listed in the NCAA’s database is 984 (2024-25).
How does Dustin Ford’s contract compare with what John Groce made at the University of Akron?
Last season at UA, Groce made $400,000 in base salary and $450,000 in supplemental compensation.
The $850,000 Groce earned in those two categories is $385,000 more than the $465,000 Ford will receive in base salary and supplemental compensation combined.
More savings for UA stems from Groce having a retention bonus in his last deal with the Zips and the absence of one in Ford’s contract. Groce received $75,000 by remaining employed by Akron on June 30, 2025. He would have gotten another payment of $75,000 if had remained employed by UA on June 30, 2028.
For the most part, Groce also had richer incentives in his latest deal with Akron. Here they are, with the agreed upon amounts calculated as percentages of his $400,000 base salary at UA:
Last season, Akron won the MAC Tournament championship and thereby secured the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, meaning 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 those two incentives account for $1.025 million he would have earned in roughly the past year at UA.
However, pertinent clauses in Groce’s 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.
The contrast between the two contracts discloses a bump in pay for Akron’s support staff. For three assistant coaches, Groce had a minimum base salary pool of $394,900. For three assistant coaches, Ford has a minimum base salary pool of $425,000 at his disposal. Ford had previously worked as an assistant under Groce for all 18 seasons of Groce’s head coaching tenure.
Both Groce and Ford received a monthly automobile stipend of $1,000 in their UA contracts. Yet, the country club membership and monthly dues with which Akron had agreed to provide Groce are not included in Ford’s deal.
Dustin Ford’s buyout agreement with Zips basketball
Ford’s contract includes a buyout agreement, which is standard for college coaches.
If Akron were to fire Ford without cause before his contract expires, the school would owe him 75% of his $350,000 base salary, or $262,000.
If Ford were to terminate his contract before it expires, he would owe Akron the following, depending on when he were to leave:
An asterisk is essentially attached to those dollar amounts, though. Ford’s contract states in the event Goodrich is no longer serving as Akron’s athletic director or his departure from UA has been publicly announced at the time of Ford terminating his deal, the amounts would be reduced by 50%.
Akron men’s basketball transfer portal recap
Going back to the idea Goodrich floated to the Beacon Journal on March 30 about Akron being able to use savings from a coaching change to supplement UA’s roster through revenue sharing, it’s important to remember NIL money also is provided to the Zips through the Fear the Roo Collective founded by local businessman Bud Wentz.
A brief review of the UA men’s basketball program’s activity in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason is below.
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: Akron Zips basketball coach Dustin Ford’s 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
