IOWA CITY, Iowa – The fact that Chris Doyle now gets paid $595,000 annually as the Iowa football’s team strength and conditioning coach has triggered a national debate.

On one side, are those who feel that Doyle is worth every penny for what he brings to the program with regard to player development, daily inspiration and guidance.

On the other side are those who don’t feel that any strength coach is worth that much money, let alone the strength coach at Iowa.

Former Michigan receiver Desmond Howard said Tuesday on ESPN that he doesn’t think Doyle deserves his current salary based simply on the fact that Iowa’s defense surrendered a 22-play, game-winning drive to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship game this past December.

Now that’s just silly and probably Howard’s way of gaining attention, which in my case, he has succeeded.

How you feel about Doyle’s new compensation package probably depends largely on your perspective and on your likes and dislikes.

Of course, most Iowa fans believe he is worth every penny, especially coming off a 12-win season and entering a season in which the Hawkeyes are a heavy favorite to defend their Big Ten West Division title.

And it shouldn’t be a surprise that a former Michigan receiver feels differently because Howard can’t really appreciate what a strength and conditioning coach means to a developmental program like Iowa, which rarely recruits at the same level as Michigan.

The 48-year old Doyle is being paid more than double the amounts going to many of his Big Ten Conference peers, and it’s $70,000 more than what reigning national champion Alabama’s Scott Cochran is being paid this season as strength and conditioning coach, according to a story by USA Today.

Doyle received a 15.5 percent raise over the past year, which amounts to an $80,000 increase. He is now scheduled to make the same annual compensation as Iowa coordinators Greg Davis and Phil Parker, according to the story in USA Today.

As for which side I’m on?

I say more power to Chris Doyle that his bosses believe strongly that he is worth every penny.

One thing that seems to be getting overlooked in the debate is that Doyle has been at Iowa for almost 18 years. He was a member of Kirk Ferentz’s original staff in 1999.

Longevity and loyalty mean a great deal. Doyle should be one of the highest paid strength and conditioning coaches in college football based solely on his longevity.

It almost seems that Ferentz considers Doyle a third coordinator. And in many ways Doyle is just that.

He coordinates the strength and conditioning and the diets for each player. Doyle spends more time with the players than any coach because of NCAA rules.

He also now has the additional title as Iowa’s “director of football.”

So with Doyle, it goes beyond just being a strength and conditioning coach.

He has carved a position that is unique to him, one that has been built on time, success and hard work.

Doyle’s raise comes on the heels of a season in which Iowa won 12 games and played in the Rose Bowl for the time since 1991.

And what’s the big deal about a strength coach being paid almost $600,000 annually when some college head coaches earn that much in a month?

Doyle has been at Ferentz’s side since the beginning.

They’ve persevered through tough times, including when 13 players were hospitalized with the potentially serious blood disorder rhabdomyolysis in January 2011 following one of Doyle’s workouts.

Ferentz supported Doyle and a university investigation found no wrongdoing.

The rhabdo controversy was an unfortunate occurrence in which everybody, including Doyle, learned from the experience. It was an isolated incident that shouldn’t overshadow nearly two decades of excellence.

I can’t tell you how many former Iowa players I’ve heard say that Doyle was an inspiration for them in college. He was their guide who they respected, admired and feared in a good way because you didn’t want to disappoint him.

Doyle’s bosses are simply showing their appreciation for a job well done and for being loyal.