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Iowa extends athletic director Gary Barta’s contact 5 years

News, Sports

February 18th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A big year from Iowa’s football and basketball teams means a big raise for athletic director Gary Barta. Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Iowa President Bruce Harreld and Barta reached a five-year contract extension last month. It guarantees Barta $4.6 million in compensation through June 30th, 2021.

The deal increases Barta’s base salary from $400,000 to $550,000 in July and guarantees $250,000 in annual deferred compensation. Both amounts increase by $50,000 in 2018. Despite fan unrest last year, Barta stuck by football coach Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz led the Hawkeyes to 12 wins and a Rose Bowl appearance.

Barta’s biggest hire, basketball coach Fran McCaffery, has turned a once-moribund program into the nation’s fourth-ranked team. Barta’s department is also facing a federal investigation into sex discrimination allegations.