State’s highest-paid employee is still BSU’s head football coach, followed by BB coach, college presidents…

The annual “ Rainbow Report ” about the state’s workforce is out, and once again, it shows that the highest-paid state employee is Boise State University’s head football coach. Coach Bryan Harsin’s salary of $1.1 million is among those of 338 state employees who pull down salaries higher than that of Gov. Butch Otter, who makes $124,436 a year. The report includes total salaries – not just those that come from state funds.

Here are the rest of the top five highest-paid state employees in Idaho: 2. BSU head basketball Coach Leon Rice, $650,000; 3. BSU President Bob Kustra, $396,562; 4. Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas, $381,521; and 5. University of Idaho President Chuck Staben, $374,005.

Most of those on the list of those who earn more than the governor are top administrators, deans, coaches or faculty at Idaho’s public universities; or physicians with the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, but there are others. Among them: Bob Maynard, chief investment officer for the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho, $303,326; Idaho Transportation Department Director Brian Ness, $191,776; and Idaho State Insurance Fund Executive Connie Barnett, $190,008.