Bjork holding McDonald’s contract to limit WKU’s recruiting distractions
April 29, 2011
Missing from Friday’s Board of Regents agenda was Head Coach Ken McDonald’s reset contract, which will have a base salary of $250,000 — down from the $350,000 McDonald earned this past season.
Athletics Director Ross Bjork told the Herald Friday that WKU is waiting until July to release the contract, which is “done and signed,” as McDonald and staff are still working on the 2011 recruiting class.
Bjork said the Regents were briefed about holding the contract in a memo leading up to Friday’s second quarterly meeting.
“We just thought that, at this meeting, let’s not bring attention to it because we’re still in an open recruiting process,” Bjork said Friday after ceremonies to dedicate Ransdell Hall. “That was it. No other reason than because we’re trying to finish signing a class.”
McDonald has already signed five players as part of his recruiting class, including two members of the Rivals.com 150 — Derrick Gordon and George Fant. The Toppers are in the mix right now for several point guards as the NCAA’s Regular Signing Period winds down.
The signing period began on April 13 and ends May 18.
WKU’s Board of Regents has its third quarterly meeting on July 29. Although the board also meets on June 24, it’s only for a special meeting to finalize the budget.