University Times

The head coaches of Pitt's football and men's basketball teams were among the University's five highest paid, non-officer employees during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2000, according to an IRS form that Pitt filed this week.

Head basketball coach Ben Howland's salary was $1,004 higher than that of head football coach Walt Harris, but Harris's total compensation was greater.

Each coach outearned all but two of Pitt's eight senior officers. The two exceptions were Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg and Arthur S. Levine, senior vice chancellor for Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine.

Harris received $299,600 in salary, $20,758 in Pitt contributions to his employee benefits plans, and $12,699 for expenses and other allowances.

Pitt paid Howland $300,604 in salary, $18,802 in University contributions to his employee benefits plans, and $5,298 for expenses and other allowances.

"For major universities participating in NCAA Division IA athletics, it's not an unusual situation" for football and men's basketball coaches to earn more than top executives, said Ken Service, director of Pitt's Office of News and Information. Howland and Harris "certainly are not overpaid" compared with peers at other Division IA schools, Service said.

Pitt does not voluntarily release salary and benefits information for individuals except senior officers whose pay is set by the Board of Trustees compensation committee.

The compensation of Harris, Howland and three other non-officers is available because the IRS Form 990, a public document, requires tax-exempt, private corporations such as Pitt to reveal compensation figures for officers as well as their five highest-paid non-officer employees.

In addition to Harris and Howland, those Pitt non-officer employees last year included:

* Thomas P. Detre, Distinguished Service Professor — $418,644 in salary, $28,984 in Pitt contributions to benefits plans and $6,177 in expenses and other allowances.

* Ronald B. Herberman, professor of medicine/pathology and Health Sciences associate vice chancellor — $409,171 in salary and $34,600 in Pitt contributions to benefit plans.

* Massimo M. Trucco, professor of pediatrics — $309,114 in salary and $28,504 in Pitt contributions to benefit plans.

The IRS Form 990 is limited to salaries, benefits and allowances processed through the Pitt payroll system. So, for example, it does not include income that Health Sciences faculty earn for clinical work through the UPMC Health System. Other Health Sciences professors may have earned higher total salaries than the Pitt compensation paid to Detre, Herberman and Trucco.

The IRS document lists compensation paid to Pitt senior officers during FY 2000. Since then, trustees have awarded salary increases to those officers.

The following is a list of officers's FY 2000 total compensation as well as their current salaries:

* Carol A. Carter, vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement — $172,600 in salary, $25,787 in Pitt contributions to benefit plans and $4,984 in expenses and other allowances.

Current salary: $179,000. (Dollar figures for officers' current benefits won't be totaled until the end of the fiscal year on June 30.)

* Jerome Cochran, executive vice chancellor — $228,786 in salary, $34,157 in Pitt contributions to benefits plans and $3,807 in expenses and other allowances.

Current salary: $237,500.

* Robert E. Dunkelman, secretary of the corporation — $133,600 in salary, $22,367 in Pitt contributions to benefits plans and $3,067 in expenses and other allowances.

Current salary: $139,000.

* Arthur S. Levine, Health Sciences senior vice chancellor and medical school dean — $515,600 in salary, $21,921 in Pitt contributions to benefits plans and $3,784 in expenses and other allowances.

Current salary: $537,000.

* James V. Maher, senior vice chancellor and provost — $243,600 in salary, $43,829 in Pitt contributions to benefits plans and $4,087 in expenses and other allowances.

Current salary: $253,500.

* Amy K. Marsh, treasurer — $141,040 in salary, $10,915 in Pitt contributions to benefits plans and $87 in expenses and other allowances.

Current salary: $150,000.

* Mark A. Nordenberg, chancellor and chief executive officer — $300,600 in salary, $42,041 in Pitt contributions to benefits plans, $5,200 in expenses and other allowances, and $6,118 in educational benefits.

Current salary: $325,000.

* Arthur G. Ramicone, vice chancellor for Budget and controller — $152,600 in salary and $22,691 in Pitt contributions to benefits plans.

Current salary: $172,000.

–Bruce Steele