Home Nonprofit & Education Education State’s highest-paid employees include URI hoops coaches, university president

State’s highest-paid employees include URI hoops coaches, university president

By

James Bessette

-

01/02/2024

URI-Campus — ACCORDING TO data obtained by Providence Business News on Tuesday from the R.I. Department of Administration, 95 out of the 150 top-paid state employees last year, including 18 of the top 20, work for either the University of Rhode Island, the R.I. Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals and the R.I. Department of Corrections. / COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

PROVIDENCE – It pays to be working for the University of Rhode Island, the R.I. Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals and the R.I. Department of Corrections – literally. According to data obtained by Providence Business News on Tuesday from the R.I. Department of Administration, 95 out of the 150 top-paid state employees last year,

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PROVIDENCE – It pays to be working for the University of Rhode Island, the R.I. Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals and the R.I. Department of Corrections – literally. According to data obtained by Providence Business News on Tuesday from the R.I. Department of Administration, 95 out of the 150 top-paid state employees last year, including 18 of the top 20, work for those three state entities. A pair of URI basketball coaches, the university’s president and provost, and a RIBHDDH psychiatric physician were the top five highest-paid employees last year based on salary, overtime, incentives and other compensation. URI Men’s Basketball Head Coach Ryan “Archie” Miller, once again, was Rhode Island’s highest-paid employee in a single calendar year, being paid $1.4 million in 2023. Miller’s earnings include $405,000 in base salary, $250,000 in overtime pay. More than half of Miller’s pay – $750,000 – came in the form of other compensation, which includes fees for his appearance and participation in athletic events and functions, per his contract with URI to coach the program. Miller, who is in his second year coaching the men’s basketball team with the team currently at 6-7, made close to 10 times the $162,620 that Gov. Daniel J. McKee earned last year, RIDOA spokesperson Laura Hart confirmed Tuesday to PBN. Miller’s direct boss in URI’s athletic department, Thorr Bjorn, was paid $357,055 in 2023. [caption id="attachment_456114" align="alignleft" width="196"]

RYAN "ARCHIE" MILLER, head men's basketball coach for the University of Rhode Island, was paid $1.4 million in 2023, the most of all state employees. / COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

RYAN "ARCHIE" MILLER, head men's basketball coach for the University of Rhode Island, was paid $1.4 million in 2023, the most of all state employees. / COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND[/caption] Miller’s earnings, while highest among Rhode Island state employees and common for basketball coaches across the country to be the highest paid in their respective states, are actually low compared to what his contemporaries make. Dan Hurley, former URI men’s basketball coach who last year led the University of Connecticut men’s team to an NCAA national championship, recently signed a six-year extension with UConn with average annual earnings of $5.4 million, according to a report from CT Insider. Ed Cooley, former Providence College men’s basketball coach now with Georgetown University, earned $3.6 million in the 2022 fiscal year, according to the college’s most recent 990 form that is publicly available. URI President Marc B. Parlange was paid $623,846 last year to lead the university. That includes $513,846 in base salary and $110,000 in overtime. Parlange’s salary is more than double than what former Community College of Rhode Island President Meaghan L. Hughes made last year at $250,207. Tammi Reiss, who has led URI’s women’s basketball team to record performances the last couple of years – and received a 10-year extension to remain with the university in 2022 – was paid last year $449,312. Most of her earnings came from Reiss’ salary – $430,312. URI Provost Barbara E. Wolfe received $428,001 in total pay last year. RIBHDDH Psychiatric Physician Dr. Jason M. Andreas, was the state’s fourth-highest paid employee in 2023, receiving $429,087. Half of his earnings were his base salary and the other half came in overtime. Mark E. Wilbur and John H. Brazil Jr. were the state’s two highest-paid correctional officers last year, with most of their earnings coming from overtime pay. Wilbur in 2023 made $405,580, including $271,320 in overtime, while Brazil netted $354,851 in total pay, of which $223,990 came from overtime. James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.