College football coaches are tasked with a 365-day-a-year job, managing every aspect of their program, from recruiting to on-field success and so much more. As such, they’re compensated for their roles in building their institute of higher learning’s biggest money-making sport (for the most part) justly.
The list of the highest-paid college football coaches shows staggering figures and comes from all corners of the country.
List of Highest-Paid College Football Coaches
The list below highlights the highest-paid college football coaches at the FBS level. The figures come from individual contract studies of each head coach in major college football.
While mostly accurate, it should be noted that public schools are required to disclose their figures in some capacity, but private institutes (think Notre Dame) are not. You will likely not see 100% confirmed details of a private institute’s coach unless that contract has been made public.
Note: Below will be each of the head coaches listed. Click the head coach for an expanded view of the contract associated with their respective school.
1) Kirby Smart, Georgia: $13,000,000
2) Dabo Swinney, Clemson: $11,500,000
3) Ryan Day, Ohio State: $10,200,000
4) Kalen DeBoer, Alabama: $10,000,000
4) Mike Norvell, Florida State: $10,000,000
4) Lincoln Riley, USC: $10,000,000
7) Brian Kelly, LSU: $9,500,000
8) Matt Rhule, Nebraska: $9,000,000
8) Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: $9,000,000
8) Josh Heupel, Tennessee: $9,000,000
11) Mark Stoops, Kentucky: $8,600,000
12) Mario Cristobal, Miami (FL): $8,000,000
13) Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: $7,625,000
14) Jedd Fisch, Washington: $7,500,000
15) Billy Napier, Florida: $7,400,000
16) Brent Venables, Oklahoma: $7,250,000
17) Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: $7,000,000
17) Dan Lanning, Oregon: $7,000,000
17) James Franklin, Penn State: $7,000,000
17) Mike Elko, Texas A&M: $7,000,000
21) Hugh Freeze, Auburn: $6,500,000
22) Shane Beamer, South Carolina: $6,360,000
23) Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri: $6,250,000
24) Greg Schiano, Rutgers: $6,250,000
25) Kyle Whittingham, Utah: $6,200,000
26) Bret Bielema, Illinois: $6,000,000
26) Jonathan Smith, Michigan State: $6,000,000
26) P.J. Fleck, Minnesota: $6,000,000
29) Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh: $5,800,000
30) Steve Sarkisian, Texas: $5,600,000
31) Deion Sanders, Colorado: $5,500,000
31) Chris Klieman, Kansas State: $5,500,000
31) Sherrone Moore, Michigan: $5,500,000
34) Jeff Brohm, Louisville: $5,100,000
35) Sam Pittman, Arkansas: $5,000,000
35) Bill O’Brien, Boston College: $5,000,000
35) Lance Leipold, Kansas: $5,000,000
35) Dave Doeren, NC State: $5,000,000
35) Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame: $5,000,000
35) Sonny Dykes, TCU: $5,000,000
35) Luke Fickell, Wisconsin: $5,000,000
42) Justin Wilcox, California: $4,750,000
43) Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State: $4,500,000
43) Troy Taylor, Stanford: $4,500,000
45) Tony Elliott, Virginia: $4,240,000
46) Joey McGuire, Texas Tech: $4,100,000
47) Ryan Walters, Purdue: $4,050,000
48) Matt Campbell, Iowa State: $4,000,000
48) Jamey Chadwell, Liberty: $4,000,000
48) Mike Locksley, Maryland: $4,000,000
48) Brent Pry, Virginia Tech: $4,000,000
48) Neal Brown, West Virginia: $4,000,000
53) Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State: $3,950,000
54) Dave Aranda, Baylor: $3,800,000
55) Manny Diaz, Duke: $3,700,000
56) Dave Clawson, Wake Forest: $3,610,000
57) Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati: $3,500,000
57) Curt Cignetti, Indiana: $3,500,000
57) Mack Brown, North Carolina: $3,500,000
57) Rhett Lashlee, SMU: $3,500,000
57) Fran Brown, Syracuse: $3,500,000
62) Clark Lea, Vanderbilt: $3,051,881
63) Kalani Sitake, BYU: $3,000,000
63) DeShaun Foster, UCLA: $3,000,000
65) Brent Key, Georgia Tech: $2,800,000
66) Jeff Traylor, UTSA: $2,800,000
67) Jake Dickert, Washington State: $2,728,900
68) Alex Golesh, South Florida: $2,500,000
68) Stan Drayton, Temple: $2,500,000
70) Mike Houston, East Carolina: $2,300,000
70) Gus Malzahn, UCF: $2,300,000
72) Brent Brennan, Arizona: $2,200,000
73) Jeff Monken, Army: $2,100,000
74) Willie Fritz, Houston: $2,000,000
74) Trent Bray, Oregon State: $2,000,000
74) Jon Sumrall, Tulane: $2,000,000
77) Ryan Silverfield, Memphis: $1,915,000
78) Kevin Wilson, Tulsa: $1,900,000
79) Sean Lewis, San Diego State: $1,750,000
79) Barry Odom, UNLV: $1,750,000
81) Troy Calhoun, Air Force: $1,700,000
81) Jay Norvell, Colorado State: $1,700,000
83) Jeff Tedford, Fresno State: $1,500,000
83) Jim Mora Jr., UConn: $1,500,000
85) Blake Anderson, Utah State: $1,375,000
86) Trent Dilfer, UAB: $1,300,000
87) Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico: $1,200,000
87) Eric Morris, North Texas: $1,200,000
89) Spencer Danielson, Boise State: $1,100,000
89) Jason Candle, Toledo: $1,100,000
89) Jay Sawvel, Wyoming: $1,100,000
92) Jeff Choate, Nevada: $1,050,000
93) Jim McElwain, Central Michigan: $1,029,120
94) Biff Poggi, Charlotte: $1,000,000
94) Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina: $1,000,000
94) Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic: $1,000,000
94) Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee: $1,000,000
94) G.J. Kinne, Texas State: $1,000,000
99) Shawn Clark, Appalachian State: $950,020
100) Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech: $950,000
101) Mike Bloomgren, Rice: $904,044
102) Dell McGee, Georgia State: $900,000
102) Gerard Parker, Troy: $900,000
102) Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky: $900,000
105) Lance Taylor, Western Michigan: $850,000
106) Butch Jones, Arkansas State: $825,000
106) Major Applewhite, South Alabama: $825,000
106) Scotty Walden, UTEP: $825,000
109) Will Hall, Southern Miss: $824,000
110) Clay Helton, Georgia Southern: $800,000
110) Rich Rodriguez, Jacksonville State: $800,000
112) Ricky Rhane, Old Dominion: $775,000
113) Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana: $755,000
113) Charles Huff, Marshall: $755,000
115) Mike MacIntyre, FIU: $750,000
116) Timmy Chang, Hawaii: $700,008
117) Tim Albin, Ohio: $700,000
117) Don Brown, UMass: $700,000
119) Mike Neu, Ball State: $680,000
120) Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois: $677,000
121) Joe Moorhead, Akron: $620,000
122) Brian Newberry, Navy: $600,000
122) Tony Sanchez, New Mexico State: $600,000
122) K.C. Keeler, Sam Houston: $600,000
125) Scot Loeffler, Bowling Green: $580,000
126) Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan: $550,000
126) Bob Chesney, James Madison: $550,000
126) Chuck Martin, Miami (OH): $550,000
129) Kenni Burns, Kent State: $525,000
130) Pete Lembo, Buffalo: $500,000
131) Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State: $390,550
132) Bryant Vincent, UL-Monroe: $350,000
tbd) David Braun, Northwestern: undetermined
tbd) Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State: undetermined
Highest-Paid ACC College Football Coaches
1) Dabo Swinney, Clemson: $11,500,000
2) Mike Norvell, Florida State: $10,000,000
3) Mario Cristobal, Miami (FL): $8,000,000
4) Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh: $5,800,000
5) Jeff Brohm, Louisville: $5,100,000
6) Bill O’Brien, Boston College: $5,000,000
6) Dave Doeren, NC State: $5,000,000
8) Justin Wilcox, California: $4,750,000
9) Troy Taylor, Stanford: $4,500,000
10) Tony Elliott, Virginia: $4,240,000
11) Brent Pry, Virginia Tech: $4,000,000
12) Manny Diaz, Duke: $3,700,000
13) Dave Clawson, Wake Forest: $3,610,000
14) Mack Brown, North Carolina: $3,500,000
14) Rhett Lashlee, SMU: $3,500,000
14) Fran Brown, Syracuse: $3,500,000
17) Brent Key, Georgia Tech: $2,800,000
Highest-Paid Big Ten College Football Coaches
1) Ryan Day, Ohio State: $10,200,000
2) Lincoln Riley, USC: $10,000,000
3) Matt Rhule, Nebraska: $9,000,000
4) Jedd Fisch, Washington: $7,500,000
5) Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: $7,000,000
5) Dan Lanning, Oregon: $7,000,000
5) James Franklin, Penn State: $7,000,000
8) Greg Schiano, Rutgers: $6,250,000
9) Bret Bielema, Illinois: $6,000,000
9) Jonathan Smith, Michigan State: $6,000,000
9) P.J. Fleck, Minnesota: $6,000,000
12) Sherrone Moore, Michigan: $5,500,000
13) Luke Fickell, Wisconsin: $5,000,000
14) Ryan Walters, Purdue: $4,050,000
15) Mike Locksley, Maryland: $4,000,000
16) Curt Cignetti, Indiana: $3,500,000
17) DeShaun Foster, UCLA: $3,000,000
tbd) David Braun, Northwestern: undetermined
Highest-Paid Big 12 College Football Coaches
1) Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: $7,625,000
2) Kyle Whittingham, Utah: $6,200,000
3) Deion Sanders, Colorado: $5,500,000
3) Chris Klieman, Kansas State: $5,500,000
5) Lance Leipold, Kansas: $5,000,000
5) Sonny Dykes, TCU: $5,000,000
7) Joey McGuire, Texas Tech: $4,100,000
8) Matt Campbell, Iowa State: $4,000,000
8) Neal Brown, West Virginia: $4,000,000
10) Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State: $3,950,000
11) Dave Aranda, Baylor: $3,800,000
12) Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati: $3,500,000
13) Kalani Sitake, BYU: $3,000,000
14) Gus Malzahn, UCF: $2,300,000
15) Brent Brennan, Arizona: $2,200,000
16) Willie Fritz, Houston: $2,000,000
Highest-Paid Pac-12 College Football Coaches
1) Jake Dickert, Washington State: $2,728,900
2) Trent Bray, Oregon State: $2,000,000
Highest-Paid SEC College Football Coaches
1) Kirby Smart, Georgia: $13,000,000
2) Kalen DeBoer, Alabama: $10,000,000
3) Brian Kelly, LSU: $9,500,000
4) Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: $9,000,000
4) Josh Heupel, Tennessee: $9,000,000
6) Mark Stoops, Kentucky: $8,600,000
7) Billy Napier, Florida: $7,400,000
8) Brent Venables, Oklahoma: $7,250,000
9) Mike Elko, Texas A&M: $7,000,000
10) Hugh Freeze, Auburn: $6,500,000
11) Shane Beamer, South Carolina: $6,360,000
12) Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri: $6,250,000
13) Steve Sarkisian, Texas: $5,600,000
14) Sam Pittman, Arkansas: $5,000,000
15) Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State: $4,500,000
16) Clark Lea, Vanderbilt: $3,051,881
Highest-Paid American Athletic Conference College Football Coaches
1) Jeff Traylor, UTSA: $2,800,000
2) Alex Golesh, South Florida: $2,500,000
3) Stan Drayton, Temple: $2,500,000
4) Mike Houston, East Carolina: $2,300,000
5) Jeff Monken, Army: $2,100,000
6) Jon Sumrall, Tulane: $2,000,000
7) Ryan Silverfield, Memphis: $1,915,000
8) Kevin Wilson, Tulsa: $1,900,000
9) Trent Dilfer, UAB: $1,300,000
10) Eric Morris, North Texas: $1,200,000
11) Biff Poggi, Charlotte: $1,000,000
12) Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic: $1,000,000
13) Mike Bloomgren, Rice: $904,044
14) Brian Newberry, Navy: $600,000
Highest-Paid Conference USA College Football Coaches
1) Jamey Chadwell, Liberty: $4,000,000
2) Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee: $1,000,000
3) Sonny Cumbie, La Tech: $950,000
4) Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky: $900,000
5) Scotty Walden, UTEP: $825,000
6) Rich Rodriguez, Jacksonville State: $800,000
7) Mike MacIntyre, FIU: $750,000
8) Tony Sanchez, New Mexico State: $600,000
9) K.C. Keeler, Sam Houston: $600,000
10) Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State: $390,550
Highest-Paid MAC College Football Coaches
1) Jason Candle, Toledo: $1,100,000
2) Jim McElwain, Central Michigan: $1,029,120
3) Lance Taylor, Western Michigan: $850,000
4) Tim Albin, Ohio: $700,000
5) Mike Neu, Ball State: $680,000
6) Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois: $677,000
7) Joe Moorhead, Akron: $620,000
8) Scot Loeffler, Bowling Green: $580,000
9) Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan: $550,000
10) Chuck Martin, Miami (OH): $550,000
11) Kenni Burns, Kent State: $525,000
12) Pete Lembo, Buffalo: $500,000
Highest-Paid Mountain West College Football Coaches
1) Sean Lewis, San Diego State: $1,750,000
2) Barry Odom, UNLV: $1,750,000
3) Troy Calhoun, Air Force: $1,700,000
4) Jay Norvell, Colorado State: $1,700,000
5) Jeff Tedford, Fresno State: $1,500,000
6) Blake Anderson, Utah State: $1,375,000
7) Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico: $1,200,000
8) Spencer Danielson, Boise State: $1,100,000
9) Jay Sawvel, Wyoming: $1,100,000
10) Jeff Choate, Nevada: $1,050,000
11) Timmy Chang, Hawaii: $700,008
tbd) Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State: undetermined
Highest-Paid Sun Belt College Football Coaches
1) Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina: $1,000,000
2) G.J. Kinne, Texas State: $1,000,000
3) Shawn Clark, Appalachian State: $950,020
4) Dell McGee, Georgia State: $900,000
5) Gerard Parker, Troy: $900,000
6) Butch Jones, Arkansas State: $825,000
7) Major Applewhite, South Alabama: $825,000
8) Will Hall, Southern Miss: $824,000
9) Clay Helton, Georgia Southern: $800,000
10) Ricky Rhane, Old Dominion: $775,000
11) Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana: $755,000
12) Charles Huff, Marshall: $755,000
13) Bob Chesney, James Madison: $550,000
14) Bryant Vincent, UL-Monroe: $350,000
Highest-Paid Independent College Football Coaches
1) Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame: $5,000,000
2) Jim Mora Jr., UConn: $1,500,000
3) Don Brown, UMass: $700,000
Highest-Paid College Football Coaches In Each State
Listed below are the top-paid college football coaches in each state with multiple major college football programs inside its state borders. States like Connecticut, where only UConn represents the state at the FBS level, will not be listed,
Alabama
1) Kalen DeBoer, Alabama: $10,000,000
2) Hugh Freeze, Auburn: $6,500,000
3) Trent Dilfer, UAB: $1,300,000
4) Gerard Parker, Troy: $900,000
5) Major Applewhite, South Alabama: $825,000
6) Rich Rodriguez, Jacksonville State: $800,000
Arizona
1) Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State: $3,950,000
2) Brent Brennan, Arizona: $2,200,000
Arkansas
1) Sam Pittman, Arkansas: $5,000,000
2) Butch Jones, Arkansas State: $825,000
California
1) Lincoln Riley, USC: $10,000,000
2) Justin Wilcox, California: $4,750,000
3) Troy Taylor, Stanford: $4,500,000
4) DeShaun Foster, UCLA: $3,000,000
5) Sean Lewis, San Diego State: $1,750,000
6) Jeff Tedford, Fresno State: $1,500,000
tbd) Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State: undetermined
Colorado
1) Deion Sanders, Colorado: $5,500,000
2) Troy Calhoun, Air Force: $1,700,000
3) Jay Norvell, Colorado State: $1,700,000
Florida
1) Mike Norvell, Florida State: $10,000,000
2) Mario Cristobal, Miami (FL): $8,000,000
3) Billy Napier, Florida: $7,400,000
4) Alex Golesh, South Florida: $2,500,000
5) Gus Malzahn, UCF: $2,300,000
6) Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic: $1,000,000
7) Mike MacIntyre, FIU: $750,000
Georgia
1) Kirby Smart, Georgia: $13,000,000
2) Brent Key, Georgia Tech: $2,800,000
3) Dell McGee, Georgia State: $900,000
4) Clay Helton, Georgia Southern: $800,000
5) Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State: $390,550
Illinois
1) Bret Bielema, Illinois: $6,000,000
2) Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois: $677,000
tbd) David Braun, Northwestern: undetermined
Indiana
1) Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame: $5,000,000
2) Ryan Walters, Purdue: $4,050,000
3) Curt Cignetti, Indiana: $3,500,000
4) Mike Neu, Ball State: $680,000
Iowa
1) Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: $7,000,000
2) Matt Campbell, Iowa State: $4,000,000
Kansas
1) Chris Klieman, Kansas State: $5,500,000
2) Lance Leipold, Kansas: $5,000,000
Kentucky
1) Mark Stoops, Kentucky: $8,600,000
2) Jeff Brohm, Louisville: $5,100,000
3) Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky: $9,00,000
Louisiana
1) Brian Kelly, LSU: $9,500,000
2) Jon Sumrall, Tulane: $2,000,000
3) Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech: $950,000
4) Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana: $755,000
5) Bryant Vincent, UL-Monroe: $350,000
Maryland
1) Mike Locksley, Maryland: $4,000,000
2) Brian Newberry, Navy: $600,000
Massachusetts
1) Bill O’Brien, Boston College: $5,000,000
2) Don Brown, UMass: $700,000
Michigan
1) Jonathan Smith, Michigan State: $6,000,000
2) Sherrone Moore, Michigan: $5,500,000
3) Jim McElwain, Central Michigan: $1,029,120
4) Lance Taylor, Western Michigan: $850,000
5) Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan: $550,000
Mississippi
1) Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: $9,000,000
2) Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State: $4,500,000
3) Will Hall, Southern Miss: $824,000
Nevada
1) Barry Odom, UNLV: $1,750,000
2) Jeff Choate, Nevada: $1,050,000
New Mexico
1) Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico: $1,200,000
2) Tony Sanchez, New Mexico State: $600,000
New York
1) Fran Brown, Syracuse: $3,500,000
2) Jeff Monken, Army: $2,100,000
3) Pete Lembo, Buffalo: $500,000
North Carolina
1) Dave Doeren, NC State: $5,000,000
2) Manny Diaz, Duke: $3,700,000
3) Dave Clawson, Wake Forest: $3,610,000
4) Mack Brown, North Carolina: $3,500,000
5) Mike Houston, East Carolina: $2,300,000
6) Biff Poggi, Charlotte: $1,000,000
7) Shawn Clark, Appalachian State: $950,020
Ohio
1) Ryan Day, Ohio State: $10,200,000
2) Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati: $3,500,000
3) Jason Candle, Toledo: $1,100,000
4) Tim Albin, Ohio: $700,000
5) Joe Moorhead, Akron: $620,000
6) Scot Loeffler, Bowling Green: $580,000
7) Chuck Martin, Miami (OH): $550,000
8) Kenni Burns, Kent State: $525,000
Oklahoma
1) Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: $7,625,000
2) Brent Venables, Oklahoma: $7,250,000
3) Kevin Wilson, Tulsa: $1,900,000
Oregon
1) Dan Lanning, Oregon: $7,000,000
2) Trent Bray, Oregon State: $2,000,000
Pennsylvania
1) James Franklin, Penn State: $7,000,000
2) Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh: $5,800,000
3) Stan Drayton, Temple: $2,500,000
South Carolina
1) Dabo Swinney, Clemson: $11,500,000
2) Shane Beamer, South Carolina: $6,360,000
3) Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina: $1,000,000
Tennessee
1) Josh Heupel, Tennessee: $9,000,000
2) Clark Lea, Vanderbilt: $3,051,881
3) Ryan Silverfield, Memphis: $1,915,000
4) Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee: $1,000,000
Texas
1) Mike Elko, Texas A&M: $7,000,000
2) Steve Sarkisian, Texas: $5,600,000
3) Sonny Dykes, TCU: $5,000,000
4) Joey McGuire, Texas Tech: $4,100,000
5) Dave Aranda, Baylor: $3,800,000
6) Rhett Lashlee, SMU: $3,500,000
7) Jeff Traylor, UTSA: $2,800,000
8) Willie Fritz, Houston: $2,000,000
9) Eric Morris, North Texas: $1,200,000
10) G.J. Kinne, Texas State: $1,000,000
11) Mike Bloomgren, Rice: $904,044
12) Scotty Walden, UTEP: $825,000
13) K.C. Keeler, Sam Houston: $600,000
Utah
1) Kyle Whittingham, Utah: $6,200,000
2) Kalani Sitake, BYU: $3,000,000
3) Blake Anderson, Utah State: $1,375,000
Virginia
1) Tony Elliott, Virginia: $4,240,000
2) Jamey Chadwell, Liberty: $4,000,000
2) Brent Pry, Virginia Tech: $4,000,000
4) Ricky Rhane, Old Dominion: $775,000
5) Bob Chesney, James Madison: $550,000
Washington
1) Jedd Fisch, Washington: $7,500,000
2) Jake Dickert, Washington State: $2,728,900
West Virginia
1) Neal Brown, West Virginia: $4,000,000
2) Charles Huff, Marshall: $755,000