New Names Join Northwest Arkansas? Big Paycheck Club

(Click here (PDF) to see the list of highest paid state employees.)
Houston Nutt, head football coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, reigns as Northwest Arkansas’ highest paid state employee.
With total compensation of nearly $1.04 million (and more from outside sources), Nutt remains atop a list dominated by athletics and academics (p.33).
As one pigskin pundit observed, performance measured by wins and losses had no apparent bearing on Nutt’s compensation other than keeping it flat, nor did the hiring of an offensive coordinator, a role Nutt filled during his previous eight seasons as head coach of the Hogs.
Nutt’s pay is split between a state check of $329,644 and $710,000 in endorsements, media deals and other money funneled through the Razorback Foundation, aka Hog Boosters Inc.
Gus Malzahn, the new offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Razorbacks, joins the roster of highest-paid state employees at No. 39. His total compensation is built on a base salary of $150,000 plus $25,000 in other compensation.
That package is more than twice what Malzahn was making at his former job as the athletic director and head football coach at Springdale High School during 2001-05, winning a state championship and national acclaim in 2005.
Before entering the collegiate circuit, Malzahn began his coaching career in 1991 as defensive coordinator at Hughes High School (St. Francis County). He served as head football coach during 1992-95 and took the team to the state finals in 1994.
From 1996-2000, Malzahn worked as head coach at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale, winning back-to-back state championships in 1998 and 1999. Razorback fans hope his track record of offensive prowess on the Friday night gridiron will translate into more touchdowns and wins on Saturday.
The only state employees in Northwest Arkansas to receive total compensation above $500,000 are Nutt and Stan Heath, head Razorbacks basketball coach. Heath’s financial package adds up to $752,343.
This past season was viewed by some Hogs watchers as pivotal to Heath’s continued employment at the University of Arkansas.
The team went on a late season run this year that led the Razorbacks to their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2001, a return tainted by a gut-wrenching, first-round upset loss to Bucknell.
In all, 15 state employees with athletic-related jobs numbered among this year’s list.
Of the top 10 positions, six are under the athletic banner, and all are at the flagship school of the University of Arkansas system.
Joining Nutt and Heath are Reggie Herring, defensive coordinator for the football team, $300,000 at No. 3; Dave Van Horn, head baseball coach, $285,000 at No. 5; Susanne Gardner, head women’s basketball coach, $278,000 at No. 6; and Frank Broyles, athletics director, $276,280 at No. 7.
The balance of the top 10 is populated by teachers and administrators also all affiliated with the University of Arkansas.
The top-ranked academic is No. 4 Vijay Varadan, distinguished professor of electrical engineering and director of the UA’s High Density Electronics Center (HiDec), with total compensation of $287,000.
Rounding out the top tier is B. Alan Sugg, UA system president, $275,000 at No. 8; John White, chancellor, $265,000 at No. 9; and Dan Worrell, dean of the Walton College of Business, $254,000 at No. 10.
UA spokesman Steve Voorhies reported that White’s compensation package also includes country club membership fees, an amount that varies between $569 and $740 a month depending on his activities.
The most highly paid state employee in Northwest Arkansas who isn’t employed by the UA system is Rebecca Paneitz, president of Northwest Arkansas Community College with total compensation of $147,000.
The Northwest Arkansas-specific list grew from 77 names earning $140,000 or more during 2005, to 92 names earning more than $140,000 during 2006. The average total compensation for the 2006 list is $194,634.
The list of highest paid employees represents total combined compensation of $17.9 million, ranging from $141,321 to Nutt’s $1.04 million.
When looking at the entire state, beyond the Northwest Arkansas list, there is one other member of the $1 million club.
Dr. Robert “Jake” Jaquiss came to Arkansas as the new director of pediatric cardiovascular surgery at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and professor of surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine. A potential $500,000 performance bonus for Jaquiss combined with his base salary of $500,000 creates a total compensation package of seven figures.