The University of Alabama locked in its top athletics leader for the long haul Monday, as the board of trustees’ compensation committee approved a contract extension for athletics director Greg Byrne through June 30, 2033.
Byrne’s new agreement pays him $2.675 million per year, along with performance-based incentives, UA president Peter Mohler told the committee. Byrne has led Alabama athletics since January 2017 and had previously signed an extension in March 2024 that paid him $2.09 million annually through June 2031.
“Greg's tenure at UA has consistent yielded significant academic and athletic success for our student-athletes,” Mohler said, citing “exemplary performance” by Byrne. “He has also established himself as a premier leader in college athletics. Greg provides stable force that is pivotal in helping UA both navigate the current environment and chart a course for the future.”
Alabama also moved to secure several other coaches with fresh contracts, including longtime softball coach Patrick Murphy. His new deal runs through June 30, 2031 and pays $600,000 annually.
Murphy, who has coached the Tide since 1999, had last received a new contract in 2023 that paid $530,000 annually through 2028. He will be 65 when the new deal expires.
The committee also approved extensions for gymnastics coach Ashley Johnston, swimming coach Margo Geer, men’s golf coach Jay Seawell, women’s golf coach Lydia Lasprilla, and track and field coach Dan Waters.
Johnston’s five-year contract runs through June 30, 2031 and will pay $275,000 annually. Her previous deal, approved in August 2024, paid $225,000 annually through June 2029.
Seawell also landed a five-year extension through June 30, 2031, with his salary set at $285,000 annually. That matches the annual pay in his last contract, approved in June 2023, which ran through June 2028.
Geer’s new three-year deal runs through April 30, 2029 and pays $190,000 annually. Her previous contract, approved in July 2025, paid $180,000 annually through April 2028.
Waters received a four-year extension through June 30, 2030, with his annual salary increasing to $350,000. His last contract, approved in August 2024, paid $300,000 annually through June 2028.
In Other News...
Alabama Just Got A Serious Warning Before Mississippi State
Mississippi State comes into Saturdays matchup with Alabama carrying real momentum, and much of it has flowed through Kamario Taylor. The Bulldogs are 4-0 and ranked No. 16 in the AP poll, with Taylor piling up 1,377 total yards and 15 touchdowns in the early going while steering a fast-paced offense that has made people around the league take notice. Even before kickoff, the Tide know this is not the kind of early SEC test you can treat like a routine tune-up.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack added to that sense of urgency by calling Taylor possibly the best quarterback his defense has seen in the last three years. Wommack pointed to Taylors deep ball, his RPO decision-making and the way he leads a quick, athletic receiving group, all of which help explain why Mississippi State has looked so sharp. With a nationally televised 11 a.m. CT start looming, Alabama is staring at a fast start in Starkville and a quarterback who has already issued a loud warning. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has Little Margin For Error In Starkville After One Warning Sign
Alabama came out of the South Carolina game with plenty to feel good about, but the film also left behind a few reminders that there is still work to do. The Tide looked sharp in stretches, yet the same concerns that have lingered at times this season showed up again in run defense and in the back end of the secondary, two areas that can get exposed quickly if a game gets loose.
Starkville does not figure to offer much room for a slow start. Mississippi State brings a physical running game and a quarterback in Kamario Taylor who can force defenses to stay honest, which means Alabama will need cleaner execution on both sides of the ball than it has shown in some recent moments. If the Tide want to leave with a win, the defense has to hold its ground and the offense has to turn efficient drives into points without giving the Bulldogs extra chances. [Read more 🡒]
DeBoer Just Put Alabamas Recruiting Pressure In Clear Focus
Kalen DeBoer used a recent look inside Alabamas recruiting operation to put the programs priorities in sharper focus, and it started with the role Courtney Morgan has carved out as the first general manager in school history. Morgan has become a central figure in coordinating the Tides recruiting work, setting weekly meetings that bring the recruiting staff and coaching assistants onto the same page as Alabama tries to keep its roster-building machine moving in step with the standards that come with the job.
The broader picture is one of transition and pressure, because Alabamas class rankings have fluctuated and the program has already leaned heavily on the transfer market, bringing in 20 transfers last offseason. Even with that approach, the plan is to put more emphasis on high school recruiting going forward, which makes the alignment DeBoer praised even more important as the Tide try to balance immediate help with the long-term pipeline that has always defined the programs edge. [Read more 🡒]