Matt Painter has an interesting clause in his contract

Early today we talked at length about Matt Brady, the current coach at James Madison, and how a clause in his contract has brought about a law suit.

Believe it or not, that's not the only contract clause that has made the rounds today.

Over the weekend, the West Lafayette Journal & Courier got a chance to take a look at the contract that Matt Painter signed back in April, giving him $1.3 million a year for eight years, retroactive to July of 2009. What they found could put a scare into Purdue fans.

Matt Painter is one of the brightest defensive minds in the collegiate ranks.
(photo credit: AnnArbor.com)

You see, most contracts signed by coaches in this day and age have a buyout clause. If the coach decides to leave before the contract is up, the school is owed a certain, usually large, amount of money. RichRod might know a thing or two about that.

Painter has a buyout in his contract, too. Had he left by July 1st of this season, he would have owed Purdue $1 million. If he leaves by July 1st of next year, he owes Purdue $750,000.

After July 1st, 2011?

Painter would owe Purdue nothing. Not a dime.

"Once you get into negotiations, there's going to be a hard line drawn in the sand somewhere by both parties. When those things happen, sometimes their side can't move any more financially and then you're going to look at other areas to try to put yourself in the best possible situation to give yourself a little bit of freedom," Painter told the Journal & Courier. "Maybe if you don't have quite the guaranteed money as some of your peers in your league, there's going to have to be some other things that are advantageous to you and that was one example of that."

"Some coaches have had astronomical buyouts and they go to another job and they're paying it off for three, four, five or six years and you don't want to be in that kind of position. Anytime you can put yourself in a position to have a lower buyout, that only makes sense."

It would be ideal for Painter to leave after next season. He's built Purdue into a national power, a preseason top five team for the second straight season with a core of three seniors that will make quite a few preseason all-america teams. But the Boilermakers are facing quite a drop-off next season with Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore, and JaJuan Johnson graduating.

If an offer comes along at a better, higher-paying program -- which certainly could happen, he's done a fantastic job at Purdue -- what's to stop him from leaving?

Certainly not a buyout.

There are even quotes in the J&C article where Painter talks about doing what is best for him and his family. Purdue doesn't have the budget to pay him the money of some of the other schools in the Big Ten, which is why Painter took the lower salary. Purdue has to deal with the risk of losing their star.

To make matters worse, there is no where in the article where Painter mentions anything about staying at Purdue for the duration of the contract. Nothing about committing to the school or honoring the deal he signed. (For the record, I think this is the smart move. Never make any guarantees or promises that you don't intend on keeping. If he says he is a lifer, then bolts for a higher paying gig when there is no buyout, he looks like every other slick-talking, full-of-bullshit coach out there. If he says he will stay at Purdue so long as it is what is best for his family, then leaves to make more money, he looks like anyone in the world that gets offered a higher-paying job.)

If that puts a knot in your stomach as a resident of West Lafayette, no one would blame you.

Having said that, Painter was born in Indiana. He is a Purdue alum. He played with Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson. He was hand-picked by Purdue to replace Gene Keady. This could very well be his dream job, and its not like $1.3 million per year over eight years is chump change.

He's already proven he can win at Purdue. He has a roster for next season that, in addition to the Big Three, returns some decent young talent like Lewis Jackson, Kelsey Barlow, and Sandi Marcius. He landed a solid three man recruiting class with Terone Johnson, Anthony Johnson, and Travis Carroll.

Purdue may be "down" once the Big Three moves on, but given Painter's defensive philosophy and the fact that he brings in four year players, its tough to envision the Boilermakers ever really struggling. Wisconsin and Pitt have had a lot of success that same way.

Painter can clearly coach. Eventually, he is going to have options, and be faced with the decision of whether or not he wants to leave Purdue.

Me?

I'd like to see him stay at Purdue and try to hang some banners at his alma mater. It would be a great story.

I'm sure there are quite a few people out in West Lafayette that agree with me.