Steve Sabins, Mark Kellogg earned major pay raises for remarkable success at WVU

On Thursday, the future of the West Virginia athletic department got a little bit brighter as the institution took steps to secure two of their top coaches in Morgantown with contract extensions.

West Virginia head baseball coach Steve Sabins and West Virginia women's basketball coach Mark Kellogg inked contract extensions,as first reported by EerSports on Thursday. Sabins has made three consecutive Super Regional appearances andled the Mountaineersto the College World Series last year, while Kellogg just won a Big 12 Tournament Championship and has madethree consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

And with the details on those extensions now public, it's clear each earned a major pay day for their recent successes. Sabins triggered an automatic extension last season, which is included on the new contract, but Sabins will also jump from making $550,000 last season to $800,000 this coming season, when the initial increase this season was supposed to be $575,000.

Sabins will also continue to earn annual $25,000 raises, and will receive a $50,000 retention bonus each year he stays with the program, and $25,000 bonuses each for making a Super Regional and for making the College World Series.

Kellogg, meanwhile, most recently signed a seven-year deal worth up to $5.25 million in 2025 The new deal is set to add an additional $100,000 annually on of what the previous contract offered, and also adds an annual $100,000 retention bonus for sticking with the program.

Why Wren Baker's extensions for Sabins, Kellogg is the right move for West Virginia future

The Mountaineers are looking to forge new levels of success and establish themselves among the top brands in college sports as the NIL and revenue share era continues to change the landscape. And while football and men's basketball are the main revenue drivers in college athletics, both baseball and women's basketball are growing exponentially.

And with West Virginia's success in both sports recently drawing record crowds and national attention to the program's brand, it's important to maintain and grow upon that success while they continue to rebuild their main money-makers into relevant programs at the national level.

Maintaining that level of success require strong coaching and stability, however, particularly given the importance of money in college sports and relative lack of resources the Mountaineers have compared to other athletic departments. And with Kellogg and Sabins both having established their culture within the programs, as well as establishing themselves as elite coaches, whatever West Virginia can do to keep them around should be top priorities.

So the news that both are getting paid handsomely for their success is not just good news for themselves and their families – it's good news for anyone with a vested interest in the success of West Virginia's brand and success.

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