Ducks sign Mark Helfrich to five-year contract extension through 2019

On Monday afternoon, just hours after landing former Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams, the Ducks also locked in their head coach for at least the next five seasons. The Ducks gave Mark Helfrich a five-year contract extension, keeping the coach in Eugene through at least the 2019 season.

The deal is reported to be worth a total of $17.5 million guaranteed spread out over five years for an average of $3.5 million per year. The new deal is worth 1.75 times more than what Helfrich was originally making. Last season, Helfrich had a salary of $2 million, ranked 51st among coaches in college football last season. Helfrich's deal is a sliding scale, meaning he will be guaranteed $3.15 million next season, eventually increasing to a maximum of $3.8 million during the final year of the deal.

The deal includes an automatic one-year rollover each year the Ducks win 11 games in a year with one of those wins coming in a New Year's Six bowl game. Last season, of course, Helfrich and the Ducks won the Rose Bowl when they defeated Florida State.

Of course, there are plenty of opportunities for Helfrich to cash in even more on the new deal. Helfrich will receive $150,000 if the Ducks win the Pac-12 again, $100,000 for a 10-win season and a sweet payday of $500,000 if the Ducks capture that elusive national championship.

Should Helfrich opt out of his contract to leave for another school or the NFL, he will owe the school money depending on when he would leave, as much as $3 million if he left prior to the second year of completion of the deal.

Surprisingly enough, many fans weren't too pleased with Helfrich as a head coach as they failed to clinch a BCS berth in his first year at the helm. But, just like Chip Kelly, Helfrich took the Ducks to the national championship in just his second year as head coach.