Resume Building: Job Titles Aren't Always Linked to Executive Remuneration

Assistant coaches for NBA teams and power-conference members frequently are paid significantly more than head coaches for mid-major colleges. David Patrick reportedly doubled his salary last year when forsaking head-coaching responsibilities with UC Riverside to become chief assistant at Arkansas. Damon Stoudamire departed Pacific to join the following alphabetical list of NCAA Division I head coaches who had years remaining on their contract when they departed to become an assistant for a power-conference member or NBA franchise:

Head-to-Assistant Coach Mid-Major College (Tenure) Power-League Member/NBA Team
Ben Betts Jr. South Carolina State (2003-04 through 2005-06) Oklahoma
Donny Daniels Cal State Fullerton (2000-01 through 2002-03) UCLA
Dean Demopoulos Missouri-Kansas City (2000-01) Seattle Sonics
Orlando Early Louisiana-Monroe (2005-06 through 2009-10) South Carolina
Dane Fife IPFW (2005-06 through 2010-11) Michigan State
Kevin McKenna Indiana State (2007-08 through 2009-10) Oregon
Jack Murphy Northern Arizona (2012-13 through 2018-19) Arizona
Bill Musselman South Alabama (1995-96 and 1996-97) Portland Trail Blazers
Dave Odom East Carolina (1979-80 through 1981-82) Virginia
Chris Ogden Texas-Arlington (2018-19 through 2020-21) Texas
Kevin O'Neill Northwestern (1997-98 through 1999-00) New York Knicks
Matt Painter Southern Illinois (2003-04) Purdue
David Patrick UC Riverside (2018-19 and 2019-20) Arkansas
Robert "Buzz" Peterson Coastal Carolina (2005-06 and 2006-07) Charlotte Bobcats
Kenneth "Doc" Sadler Southern Mississippi (2014-15 through 2018-19) Nebraska
Heath Schroyer UT Martin (2014-15 and 2015-16) North Carolina State
Damon Stoudamire Pacific (2016-17 through 2020-21) Boston Celtics
Rodney Terry Texas-El Paso (2018-19 through 2020-21) Texas
Ralph Willard Holy Cross (1999-00 through 2008-09) Louisville
Brent "Buzz" Williams New Orleans (2006-07) Marquette

NOTE: Painter and Williams were head-coaches-in-waiting.