Addazio's compensation is not listed by USA Today because BC, as a private school, is not obligated to make his salary public. But as a non-profit institution, BC is required to list its highest-paid employees to the federal government in its annual tax filing.

Addazio and Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer, who also earned about $2.6 million, trailed only three other ACC coaches in total compensation: Florida State's Jimbo Fisher ($3.6 million), Clemson's Dabo Swinney ($3.2 million), and Louisville's Bobby Petrino ($3 million), according to BC's most recent federal tax filing and the USA Today database on coaching salaries.

When it comes to big-time football, Boston College has gone deep in paying its head coach. Steve Addazio, the highest paid employee in BC history, last year ranked among the most generously compensated football coaches in the ACC at nearly $2.6 million.


BC's filing for the tax year ending May 31, 2014, recently became available. The school's student newspaper, The Heights, appears to have first reported Addazio's salary.

Addazio assumed control of the Eagles in 2013, after they went 2-10 the previous year under Frank Spaziani, who earned about $1 million. Addazio has since guided BC to consecutive seven-win seasons and two bowl appearances.

Former BC basketball coach Steve Donahue was the school's second highest-paid employee last year at $1 million. Donahue was replaced after the 2013-14 season by Jim Christian and took over in March as Penn's head coach. Christian's salary will not be available until BC's next tax filing.

BC's other highly paid sports employees last year were athletic director Brad Bates at $695,000 and men's hockey coach Jerry York at $627,000.

BC also continued to pay former basketball coach Al Skinner, who was fired in 2010. Skinner received $585,000 from the school last year, while he served as an assistant coach at Bryant University.


Skinner, who last month became the head coach at Kennesaw State, also received a mortgage loan of $650,000 from BC, according to the school's most recent filing.

Others in the athletic department who received loans for mortgages were Donahue ($600,000), Addazio ($500,000), Bates ($500,000), and York ($150,000).

BC also reported that it paid country club memberships for four highly paid employees as part of their reported compensation, but the school did not identify those individuals.

A school spokesman said he could not immediately provide additional information.

Bob Hohler can be reached at robert.hohler@globe.com.