“They’re sending a clear message that they want us to continue to be a winner. Just knowing that they value that means a lot. They had a chance to kind of own that, and they did.”
The Raiders won three Horizon League regular-season titles and two tourney crowns under Nagy, earning a pair of NCAA tourney bids and winning a First Four game.
In 29 years in Division I before that, they reached the NCAA tourney just twice.
Sargent, whose contract was finalized over the summer, received a five-year deal with a base salary of $357,200 in his first year and $381,200 for his final four seasons.
He also receives a $35,000 retention bonus if he completes all five years.
Nagy was paid about $500,000 per year, which wasn’t exactly applauded in academic circles amid massive budget cuts. But Wright State’s enrollment is on the rise.
He left for Southern Illinois and reportedly is making $600,000 annually for six years.
Sargent’s contract is loaded with incentives.
He receives $30,000 for reaching the NCAA tourney and $10,000 for each win. For the NIT, it’s $15,000 for a bid and $5,000 for each victory.
He’s also rewarded for his players’ classroom achievements.
He gets $5,000 for an Academic Progress Rating of 985 or higher. The Raiders missed that goal with a 973 in 2022-23, the most recent year for which results are available. But their ratings were 989, 989 and 990 in the three years before that.
Sargent also gets $5,000 for a team-wide GPA of at least 3.0 each year.
Asked how the Raiders are doing there, he said: “I can speak to just the most recent (GPA). In the summer, we had a 3.6.”
He also has a free membership to Walnut Grove Country Club, which, for someone who considers himself a golf nut, is a prized perk.
“I love playing. It’s a very hard hobby to have with four children. But on the job, it’s a great hobby because you get four to five hours with a few supporters, and you can learn a ton about somebody on the golf course,” he said.
“Our staff likes to play. I like spending that time with them. We’ll get out with our players occasionally in the summer, too.”
Sargent has a 10 handicap (low 80s), but because of the demands on his time, he said, “It’s headed in the wrong direction.”
But he’s hooked.
“I’ve always said God uses parenting as a great sanctifier, and then coaching and then probably golf — because you’re forced to deal with yourself for four hours. And if you can’t do it, emotionally or mentally, you’re just going to crumble out there,” he said.
He and wife Jill live in Waynesville with their four kids (aged 10 and younger), and he’s carved out a practice area on his property.
“I’ve tried to mow out, because I can’t play often, just a few holes in our backyard — like a very, very dumbed-down fairway for my (7-year-old) son CJ with a pin out there. That’s probably the ‘course’ I play the most,” he said.
“It’s just to get all of them swinging a club early, so it’s not so foreign — teach them how to grip the club, get a little hand-eye (coordination) to get through a ball and, hopefully, when the time’s right, they’ll pick it up.”
About the Author