Ryan Walters is heading into his second season as head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers. After a 4-8 campaign in his inaugural, he will look for a vast improvement in West Lafayette this year.
As the coach of a Big Ten program, Walters is compensated handsomely, but what is his salary, contract, and net worth in 2024?
Ryan Walters’ Salary and Contract in 2024
Walters signed a five-year contract with Purdue in December 2022, which will see him paid a salary of $4.05 million in 2024.
2023 was Walters’ first season in charge of the Boilermakers and earned a salary of $4 million. As stipulated in his contract terms, the Purdue head coach’s base salary increases by $50,000 annually, topping out at $4.2 million in 2027.
In addition to a high salary, there is a performance bonus pot available that has the potential to be worth $1.5 million. There are various elements that Walters can hit to get to that maximum number.
Athletic incentives:
- $90,000 for finishing first in their respective Big Ten division.
- $45,000 for finishing second in their respective Big Ten division.
- $150,000 for winning the Big Ten Championship.
- $375,000 for reaching the College Football Playoff.
- $300,000 for participating in the Rose Bowl Game.
- $270,000 for reaching a New Year’s Six Bowl game.
- $180,000 for participating in the Citrus, Music City, or Reliaquest Bowls.
- $150,000 for participating in the Pinstripe Bowl.
- $112,500 for playing in any other bowl game.
- $75,000 for being named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
- $150,000 for winning National Coach of the Year.
Academic incentives:
- $90,000 if the team has equal to or greater than the NCAA average GSR.
- $45,000 if the team’s average GPA hits the target range (the range is established annually).
- $90,000 if the average GPA of the team exceeds the set target range.
However, his contract specifies that Walters must guide Purdue to postseason eligibility for incentives to be paid.
The contract also lays out many perks that Walters receives for being Purdue’s head coach. He gets a $5,000 apparel expense, a courtesy car or $15,00 car allowance, and a family membership to the Lafayette Country Club. Meanwhile, he was also granted $35,000 for relocation fees.
The deal terms also state that if Purdue were to terminate Walters’ contract early, they would owe him 75% of the annual salary base.
Walters’ Net Worth
Walter’s direct net worth is not reported. However, we do have information on how much he has earned in annual salaries over his career.
USA Today’s Salary Tracker shows that Walters has earned $9.4 million as a college coach. Add in the remainder of his contract with Purdue, and the Boilermakers head coach will have earned $25.9 million by the end of his contract in 2027.
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Walters’ career started as a student assistant at Colorado, where he played safety for the Buffaloes between 2004 and 2008.
His first actual coaching role came as defensive coordinator at Arizona in 2011 before having coaching roles at North Texas, Memphis, Missouri, and Illinois. Purdue represents his first head coach appointment.
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