Bellotti's Monthly Pension Tops $41,000

Mike Bellotti has a gift that keeps on giving.

Bellotti, the former Oregon coach and short-term athletic director, gets a monthly pension of $41,341.67 from the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System, the Oregonian reported.

Bellotti, 60, is one of 837 people who get more than $100,000 a year from the system, but he's at the top of the heap by a sizable margin. Next on the list is Frederick Keller, an interventional radiologist with the Oregon Health & Science University who probably doesn't have the slightest idea what "Cover 2" means. Keller cashes a monthly pension check of $31,459.45.

Bellotti, now an analyst for ESPN, had a final compensation package between $1.9 and $2 million from Oregon. He made no apology for his fat pension.

"Put in all the taxes I've paid to the state of Oregon," he told the newspaper.

Bellotti was Oregon's offensive coordinator from 1989-94. He then became head coach, a position he held until March 30, 2009, when moved into the athletic director's seat. Nine months later, he quit to join ESPN.

Then, in a move that took large brass ones, Bellotti demanded a severance of $7 million from Oregon president Richard Lariviere, who learned from university general counsel that Bellotti had no contract with the school. He was merely working under a handshake deal.

Lariviere took stock of his legal position and wisely settled for $3 million.

And in another note from higher education in Oregon, the New York Times reported that 29 members of the Duck team are enrolled in a sign language class that fulfills the university's foreign language requirement.

One of the first thing players learn is that when they hold out their hands in the shape of the letter "O," they are actually saying vagina in sign language.

"I did the 'O' once and never did it again," running back LaMichael James told the newspaper.

Thanks to Gordon and 30fps.

Comments

[Robert]

So how much did he pay into Oregon's tax revenue?
Is there a problem with student's learning sign language, and why in the hell does a university have a foreign language requirement anyway?
Is there a real story here or just trying to stir the pot?

[WS]

Chill, Robert. The sign language mention is just a mention of ironic humor given that Oregon fans make the "O" sign at games in support of their team but in ASL just happen to be shouting vagina. As far as Belotti's pension is concerned, some of us find this kind of stuff interesting. Keep up the good work Jay, and throw some Reporter's Notebooks our way some time soon!

[Gordie S.]

Who cares how much in taxes Bellotti paid. What I care about is the fact that the state is on the line for almost $1 million a year thanks to the boosters like Nike's Phil Knight and the fat-cat alums. They put up the money to enhance Bellotti's annual salary to the $2 million level. That move guaranteed him the big pension of which they don't pay a penny. Boosters who argue that state money is not used to pay coaches are dead wrong. It might not happen while they are coaching but the state is on the hook for the pension -- not the boosters or the fat cats.
And 29 football players including LaCriminal James in a course sounds like basket-weaving.