The 10 Highest Paid College Coaches

By Victoria Robertson on October 5, 2015

It’s no secret that college football is a huge part of collegiate life. But exactly how big of a part does it have to play?

With the highest paid NFL coach closing in on $8 million this year, it’s hard to imagine college football coaches making even a fraction of that. But lo and behold, the highest paid college coach of this year isn’t very far off from that number.

But you can see for yourself the difference in pay grade by reviewing the 10 highest paid college coaches (all salary estimations from USA TODAY).

10. Steve Spurrier

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The coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks (SEC) from 2005 until now closed in on $4 million for this football season. In other words, the lowest paid coach on this list is making half of the highest paid NFL coach’s salary. So that certainly puts things into perspective.

Of course, Spurrier has done his fair share to earn this salary as well. The 70-year-old coach used to play professionally for both the 49ers and the Buccaneers and has been a head coach for the past 30-something years. He’s coached at Duke, Florida and even in the NFL for the Redskins.

And with most of the university’s revenue coming from football, it’s hard to discredit the coach’s contribution to the school in exchange for this seemingly astronomical number.

9. Kirk Ferentz

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ (Big Ten) coach Kirk Ferentz comes in at just a little over $4 million ($75 thousand over, to be exact). As the Hawkeyes’ head coach since 1999, Ferentz has brought the team two Big Ten Championships and has taken home the Big Ten Head Coach of the Year Award three times.

Not bad, huh?

8. James Franklin

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Beginning his first year coaching Penn State (Big Ten) in 2014, Franklin is still banking in at $4.3 million.

The 43-year-old head coach moved to Penn State from Vanderbilt just a couple years ago, and while he only has about four years of head coaching behind him, his wallet begs to differ.

7. Les Miles

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The LSU (SEC) head coach comes it at just a little over $4.3 million and is signed until 2019. He’s been coaching the Tigers since 2005, and since then has brought home one National Championship as well as two SEC Championship titles.

The 61-year-old coach has years of college football work behind him, as well as a minor stint with the Dallas Cowboys, but now seems to have found a home coaching the Tigers. And at that price, who wouldn’t?

6. Urban Meyer

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The Ohio State Buckeyes’ (Big Ten) head coach, Urban Meyer, makes just a tad over $4.5 million. While Meyer may have only been head coach for the Buckeyes since 2012, he’s been working as a head coach since 2001, and has done quite well for himself during that time.

While coaching the Buckeyes, the 51-year-old coach has given them one National Championship as well as one Big Ten Championship, and that’s only in the past three years. So while it may seem like a lot of money, he’s certainly earning it.

5. Charlie Strong

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Charlie Strong has been coaching the Texas Longhorns (Big 12) since 2014 and his salary is a whopping $5 million.

Of course, he’s also been a head coach since 2010, previously coaching at Louisville. In college, he played defensive back at Central Arkansas (1980).

The now 55-year-old coach may be new to the Longhorns, but the hopes are high that he’ll bring home some championships. 

4. Kevin Sumlin

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Kevin Sumlin is the Texas A&M (SEC) head coach drawing in $5 million annually. The Aggies have been coached by Sumlin since 2012 (after he moved from head coach of Houston) and the previous linebacker for Purdue isn’t doing too shabby.

His first year coaching for the Aggies brought him home SEC Coach of the Year. And I’m sure there will be more awards than that in the future.

3. Bob Stoops

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Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12) head coach Bob Stoops makes slightly over $5 million and is currently in his 16th year of coaching the Sooners.

The 55-year-old played as a defensive back for the Iowa Hawkeyes when he was in college, and has since made quite a name for himself. Since coaching the Hawkeyes, he’s brought home one National Championship, eight Big 12 Championships and is a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year.

That’s quite a track record for a head coach, and that’s why he makes the big bucks.

2. Mark Dantonio

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As the Michigan State Spartans’ (Big Ten) head coach, Mark Dantonio makes around $5.6 million a year. In college he played as a defensive back at South Carolina and has now been a head coach since 2004.

However, he’s been coaching the Spartans since 2007. And in that amount of time, Dantonio has lead his team to two Big Ten Championships and has earned himself two Big Ten Coach of the Year awards.

1. Nick Saban

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And the college football coach that makes the most is Nick Saban, head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC). And what does he make in a year? A crazy $7.1 million.

That’s right, the 63-year-old coach is bringing in just over $7 million. That’s just $1 million less than the highest paid NFL coach! But when you look at his background, I suppose that makes sense.

In college, he played defensive back at Kent State, and then began head coaching in 1995. From 2005-2006, he was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and in 2007, he began coaching the Crimson Tide.

Since coaching for the Crimson Tide, he has brought the team three National Championships and three SEC Championships. And since 2007, he has won AP National Coach of the Year as well as earned the title of SEC Coach of the Year two times.

So while $7 million seems like a crazy price, Saban has certainly worked for it.

It’s no secret that football coaches make crazy amounts of money (which is still somewhat minuscule when you consider how much professional players are making). But even so, college coaches make much more than most people would think.

Whether or not it’s deservedly so, I’ll leave up to you. But I’ll tell you what: I certainly wouldn’t mind being one of the highest paid college coaches. And I’d bet you wouldn’t either.

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