As reported in the Densider this morning, Arkansas State has given athletic director Terry Mohajir a contract extension and raise.

The new contract is for five years and changes his position from Director of Athletics to Vice-Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics. The position change reflects a national trend of elevating athletic directors to a full cabinet position within university administration.



Entering his sixth season, Mohajir, who is an A-State grad and played football for the school in 1990 and 1991, signed a deal that will run through June 30, 2023. His pay will increase to $450,000, up from the $350,000 on his contract that ran until June 30, 2020. The retroactive begin date on the new contract was July 1, 2018.

A-State chancellor Kelly Damphousse announced the new contract today.



“Because of the incredible work that he has done for his alma mater since returning in 2012, including the success he has built on and off the field of competition, I wanted to make sure that we keep Terry Mohajir as a Red Wolf for the foreseeable future,” Damphousse said. “He is a champion for our student-athletes, he strives daily to improve our university, and he is committed to creating an experience through our athletics department that lifts up the entire institution.



“It is no accident that graduation rates among our student-athletes have improved greatly during Terry’s tenure or that 100% of our student-athletes have a job or are accepted into graduate school when they graduate from A-State. Terry is utterly devoted to ensuring that our students are given everything they need to be successful when their playing career ends.”



The new deal has the A-State AD among to the top 10 for Group of 5 athletic directors.



Mohajir has a buyout of $500,000 if he were to leave for any school that is in the Group of 5. If he were to leave for a job at a Power 5 conference the payout starts at $175,000 and falls to $150,000, $140,000, $130,000 and $120,000 the next four years.



The new contract also includes guidelines regarding Title IX compliance. Given a number of high profile scandals in athletics around the country, the changed language emphasizes the role of insuring compliance. Title IX compliance could also lead to the addition of another sport on campus, most likely softball.

“Terry and I began talking about a new contract in January, and I am very pleased that we finished working out the details over the course of the summer,” Damphousse said. “In addition to a salary increase, Terry’s new title of Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics acknowledges the increasingly important role he plays on A-State’s leadership team, and places him on par with athletics directors who lead FBS Division I programs like ours.”

“I am honored and humbled that Chancellor Damphousse, along with President Welch, our Board of Trustees and our Red Wolves Foundation Board, all have confidence in the direction our athletics department is heading,” Mohajir said. “I am privileged that I get to sit in the athletics director’s chair, however the tribute is shared with our amazing athletics department administration, coaches and students. It continues to be a gift every day to work with such wonderful people and incredible students. I’ve often said it takes a whole university to build an athletics department, and we truly have magnificent leadership and collaboration across our university.”

“I want to thank the Red Wolves Foundation Executive Board for agreeing to increase the private support for our athletics director’s salary,” Damphousse said. “This new contract would not have been possible without their belief in the direction of the athletics department.”



He was hired as athletics director in September of 2012. He has hired two football coaches, Bryan Harsin and Blake Anderson, two basketball coaches, Grant McCasland and Mike Balado, and Mike Hagan as golf coach.



The athletics department’s budget has increased from $15.9 million to $43.1 million (FY 2016), representing an increase of 171 percent. The school has also seen an indoor practice facility, an expanded press box, a new end zone area (which opens on Saturday) as well as upgrades to First National Bank Arena and other athletic facilities.

Quotes courtesy Arkansas State University.