Have you ever wondered what the price of success in college football is? After guiding the TCU Horned Frogs to the College Football Playoff in 2022, Sonny Dykes salary is likely the best yardstick. What is TCU head coach Dykes’ salary, contract, and net worth ahead of the 2023 season?
Sonny Dykes’ Salary and Contract in 2023
As a private institution, TCU isn’t obligated to provide details on Dykes’ salary and contract, making exact reporting of how much the Horned Frogs head coach actually earns difficult. However, after signing a contract extension that places him amongst the highest-paid head coaches in the Big 12 conference, it’s possible to place a ballpark figure on his yearly salary.
Of all coaches whose salary is disclosed, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy leads the way. Gundy earns $7.5 million per year, and it’s not unreasonable to assume that the 53-year-old TCU head coach’s extension will place him alongside, close, or even ahead of the coach whose team the Horned Frogs defeated 43-40 during the 2022 college football season.
While details of Dykes’ salary remain a matter of guesswork rather than fact, his contract is more concrete. On arriving from SMU before the 2022 college football season, Dykes signed a six-year contract with the Horned Frogs.
However, following TCU’s run to the College Football Playoff and winning the Walter Camp National Coach of the Year, that contract has been extended a further year. Dykes’ current contract is set to expire following the conclusion of the 2028 college football season.
Dykes’ Net Worth
According to multiple sources, Dykes’ original contract with TCU included a salary close to $30 million for the six-year term. That equates to $5 million per year for the Horned Frogs’ head coach, who is coming off the most successful season of his 13-year head coaching career. With an increase to what is believed to be around $7.5 million per year for the rest of his contract, Dykes’ net worth could be as much as $45 million.
It’s a substantial increase from his net worth earlier in his career. After compiling a 22-13 record during three years at Louisiana Tech, Dykes was under a contract extension and salary increase at the end of his third year at the University of California. Despite struggling for the first two years, Cal appeared to be on the up, and Dykes was rewarded with a salary increase to what was a reported $2.85 million with a $3 million pool for support staff.
After slumping to a 5-7 record the year after his extension, Cal and Dykes parted ways with three years remaining on his contract. He was reborn at SMU, where he reportedly made $1.3 million a year. However, the assumption was that he made more than that during his time with the Mustangs.
During the 2021 season, and amidst rumors of a Power Five opportunity, SMU reportedly was working on a deal that would pay Dykes up to $4 million per year, putting him on a par with then-Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell and current Houston head coach Dana Holgerson. However, after leading the Mustangs to a 30-18 record, he departed in contentious circumstances to guide TCU to the College Football Playoff.