Former Texas A&M; football Coach Jackie Sherrill’s...

Former Texas A&M; football Coach Jackie Sherrill’s contract called for an initial base salary of $95,000 when he was hired Jan. 6, 1982, but increased to $185,120 by the time A&M; bought out his contract three months ago.

The Bryan-College Station, Tex., Eagle obtained a copy of Sherrill’s contract last week under the Texas Open Records Act. It showed that Sherrill also had a separate arrangement with A&M; for his services on the “Jackie Sherrill Show,” a highlight program that ran weekly during football seasons. At the time of the buyout, the talent contract was worth $142,000 a year.

The contract called for an automatic salary increase of at least 10% annually, or the percentage increase of the average faculty salary, whichever was greater.

Additionally, Sherrill received a month’s base pay for each bowl appearance “in order to compensate for the extra time needed to prepare for the appearance and for the tangible benefit derived by (A&M;) from such appearance.”

The university also provided Sherrill with a car and required him to be a member of Briarcrest Country Club in Bryan--at university expense--because, “It is the desire of the University that Sherrill be active in the affairs of the community, maintain good alumni relations, vigorously recruit student athletes, esteem himself socially and morally, act as a spokesman for the Texas A&M; University Athletic Department.”

In an agreement not mentioned in the contract, A&M; provided a five-year $150,000 loan to Sherrill for the purchase of his home. Twenty percent of the loan was written off by A&M; for each year Sherrill was employed.

Last September, the NCAA put A&M; on probation for two years for violations of several regulations. A number of other sanctions were imposed but under the terms of Sherrill’s contract, the sanctions were not enough to cause his dismissal.