Rick Pitino and Cardinals Louisville beat the Wolverines Michigan 82-76 to become champions of the Madness March Madness Finals.

Admit that it’s a great game to watch. Louisville and Michigan were neck and neck the whole time and each team threw up some incredible dunks a strike of the perfect three-pointers. With this win, Louisville earned their third NCAA basketball title. It was Rick Pitino’s second NCAA tournament (the first was against Kentucky in 1996). Pitino is currently the only coach in history to win a championship for two different teams. So, does winning the NCAA tournament have any effect on the bank account of Rick Pitino or not?

First of all, even without winning Rick Pitino’s base prize of $4,973 million in salary makes him one of the highest-paid college basketball coaches in the country. In late July, Pitino and Louisville agreed to a contract extension that would pay him $42 million between now and 2022. On his base salary, Rick is also likely to earn some bonuses and special offers. Very attractive rights like $3,000 per month car allowance ! This year Pitino earned the following bonuses:

• $ 50,000 is awarded for winning the Big East tournament
• $50,000 to win the big winter season championship
• $175,000 for the Final Four
• $150,000 to win the NCAA championship
• Bonuses holding $2.7 million
• Total: $2,825,000

When you add the $2,825 million bonus to your $4,973 million base salary, Rick Pitino will take home $7.8 million This year! That’s enough to make him the highest-paid public employee in Kentucky. It’s also more than 10 times the annual salary of the University of Louisville, President James Ramsey (he makes $600,000). So is Pitino worth the money? YES. Thanks in large part to Rick Pitino, Louisville’s basketball program earns $41 million in revenue, more than any other university in the country. The second highest income group, Duke, brought in $28 million last year.

Rick Pitino is not the only one who will benefit from Louisville’s big win. KFC fast food chain offers a complimentary chicken meal with a face, biscuits and drinks to every Louisville student with a valid ID!