In an era of exploding salaries (…why hello, there, Mr. Saban), reports from the Fort Wayne, IN Journal Gazette show that Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis was paid just $565,566 last season. The salary information, pulled from non-profit tax filings, show Weis as the third highest paid official at Notre Dame.

The school paid Weis $565,566 in salary from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, along with $53,113 in deferred compensation and benefits and a $55,100 expense account. The figures are from the latest tax form the school and other non-profit groups are required to submit to the Internal Revenue Service. The forms are open to the public.

Wait… wasn’t Weis getting, like, eleventy billion to stay at UND long term?

John Heisler, the school’s associate athletic director for media relations, said the school never confirmed any hypothetical salary numbers for Weis.

“People have determined whatever they wanted in terms of salaries, and we have chosen not to enter the fray,” Heisler said. “For the most part, whatever guesstimates of people’s salaries at Notre Dame have been exactly that.”

Now, Weis also draws money from the Notre Dame foundation, but there’s no release requirements showing service contracts, appearance fees, or anything of the sort. And the ND salary numbers don’t include any of the vendor related benefits (ie Adidas contract, etc).

So who was the highest paid? Former ND coach Ty Willingham.

The school paid the former football coach $650,000 as part of his contract settlement after firing him on Nov. 30, 2004. He also received $64 in other expenses. Willingham, who will enter his third season at the University of Washington in 2007, was the highest-paid employee – or former employee – at Notre Dame.

Hat Tip: David

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