Fresno State men’s basketball Head Coach Vance Walberg and Assistant Head Coach John Welch have seen an increase in their salaries despite a low season filled with losses, athlete departures and gambling scandals.
In a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, The Collegian gathered all of Fresno State men’s basketball coaches’ contracts. 
Upon review, it was determined that some staff members get their income from the Athletic Corporation, making them corporate employees, and others from the California Faculty Association (CFA), making them state employees.
Here’s a breakdown.
Head Coach Vance Walberg
Walberg is on a dual-employer structure contract, getting monthly income from California State University, Fresno, and a semi-monthly income from the Athletic Corporation.
For the 2024-25 season, he earned $595,000 with $328,564 coming from the university and $266,436 from the Athletic Corporation.
Aside from his base income, Walberg was awarded performance bonuses. He got an additional $35,000 for the annual team grade point average. This season, he reached 72,099 in fan attendance at the Save Mart Center, falling short by 27,901 fans. Thus, he didn’t get a $25,000 bonus.
Despite falling short, Walberg accumulated around $630,000 last season. In addition, he got the use of a vehicle with insurance and repairs covered, and six season tickets to football, men’s basketball, volleyball, softball and baseball.
Next season, his base salary will increase by $13,000.
In Walberg’s first season as head coach, he set records for having the worst record in program history, going 6-26 overall and 2-18 in conference play.
For his second and third years, his income will jump to $608,000 yearly, with $328,244 from the university and $279,756 from the Athletic Corporation.
In 2026, Fresno State will transition to the PAC-12, which could potentially mean a switch in coaches. If Fresno State departs from Walberg in his third year, he will receive 50% of his base salary, $164,070.
Assistant Head Coach John Welch
Assistant Head Coach John Welch is also on a dual-salary structure by the Athletic Corporation and CFA.
His base salary is $139,00 yearly with no performance bonuses in his contract and no vehicle incentives.
On Oct. 9, 2024, shortly before the season started, Welch was added to a supplemental contract that nearly doubled his pay.
He was given an additional $136,000 yearly that would last until April 30, 2026. This supplemental income can’t be increased, and if there are budget issues for the athletic department, it is at risk of vanishing.
Welch’s dual-salary structure now totals $270,000 yearly, substantially exceeding the average basketball assistant head coach salary in California of $41,000.
Assistant Coach Ray Barefield
Assistant Coach Ray Barefield is also under the CFA, earning $100,000 yearly with an additional $400 vehicle stipend. He doesn’t receive a performance bonus.
Assistant Coach Jaren Harris
Unlike Barefield, Assistant Coach Jaren Harris is under the Athletic Corporation. He is on a $70,000 yearly contract with a $400 vehicle stipend.
Assistant Coach Chris Stahowski
Assistant Coach Chris Stahowski is also with the Athletic Corporation, earning $70,000 yearly with a $400 vehicle stipend and no performance bonuses.
Director of Basketball Operations Nate Leal
Director of Basketball Operations Nate Leal is the longest tenured coach on the Fresno State men’s basketball team, first signing in 2021 under former Head Coach Justin Hutson.
Since then, Leal hasn’t had any contract changes or restructures, earning $70,000 yearly with the Athletic Corporation.
His contract doesn’t have vehicle incentives.
Assistant Coach Tory Stamps
While all the coaching staff have formal contracts, Assistant Coach Tory Stamps gets the short end of the stick.
He is with the Athletic Corporation, only receiving a $24,000 stipend yearly without anything else included.
Other than the amount of money that is already received through contracts, each staff member on the Fresno State men’s basketball team also gets a $50 stipend monthly.
Whether you are the highest-paid on staff or the lowest-paid, there is no question that a significant amount of Fresno State Athletics’ money goes to its coaching staff, no matter the results on the court.
