Tim Shelton was born to coach at Oregon State. His father, Lonnie, was one of the best players in school history before going on to a 10-year, All-Star career in the NBA. However, the younger Shelton is now leaving his father’s alma mater due to NIL limitations.
Shelton, who played and coached at San Diego State before taking an assistant job for the Beavers in 2022, is now leaving his $205,008 per season gig — and paying the school back around $50,000 — because the program can’t compete in the Pac-12 with its current NIL program.
The assistant coach told the Oregonian that he loved his time at Oregon State and that while they brought talented players in, the program couldn’t keep them out of the transfer portal because of its NIL resources.
“We didn’t get those kids because of money, but we need to be able to retain them,” Shelton told the newspaper on the way out the door. “We can’t be last in those resources. When it came down to my decision, I was worried about that.”
Reports are that Shelton is leaving for a school with a better NIL program in Colorado State.
Amid this NIL drama, Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes says he disagrees with Shelton’s assessment of the school’s NIL program.
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“We disagree with his sentiments regarding NIL as it pertains to Oregon State and the ongoing efforts being made in this space,” Barnes said in The Oregonian. “We continue to retain the vast majority of our student-athletes and provide multiple opportunities for education, understanding, and connectivity to NIL opportunities.”
Despite the pushback, Shelton isn’t the first Oregon State coach to complain about the school’s NIL program. Women’s basketball coach Kamie Ethridge made a plea to the school’s donors in 2022, saying the school was “behind” in the NIL space.
