Highest-Paid College Football Coaches for the 2022 Season
The highest-paid public employee in the vast majority of American states is a college football or, less frequently, a college basketball coach -- and your tax dollars fund their hefty paychecks. In the handful of states where it's not a coach, a college dean or president is the state's highest-paid public employee in almost every case.
Higher education is big business, and a school's athletic department is usually the goose that lays the golden egg -- and nowhere is that more evident than in the realm of NCAA football. The top college football coaches often earn as much or more than their NFL counterparts -- and for good reason.
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According to Forbes, virtually no other coaching position in all of sports has more of an impact on a program's success than that of the head football coach. Their job goes far beyond what fans see on television, like calling plays and managing the clock. They have to evaluate the talent and growth potential of largely unproven high school teenagers barely old enough to drive. They have to put together and manage enormous networks of assistant coaches, trainers, managers and supporting staff. They have to navigate complex and strict rules established by the NCAA and their individual schools and make sure their players and staffs abide by those regulations. And now they're asked to help manage "Name, Image and Likeness" rules that are constantly changing as players are allowed to make money off endorsements.
They're charged with understanding and mitigating the emotional and social challenges that are inherent to their players' age group and deal with intense pressure under a bright media spotlight. On top of that, of course, are the Xs and Os of creating playbooks, developing strategies and instituting a winning culture that extends from the locker room and the practice field to game day.
Not all coaches, however, are created -- or paid -- equal.
GOBankingRates looked at NBCSports data and found the 15 highest paid college football coaches for the 2022 season. Although none of them can cry poverty, there's a huge disparity in pay scale. UCLA's Chip Kelly, for example, will earn $5.6 million this season, while Georgia's Kirby Smart will pull down $11.25 million. What they make per game, per minute and per second will make your eyes pop, too.
15. Chip Kelly
School for upcoming 2022 season: UCLA
Conference: Pac-12
2022 salary:
Pay: $5,600,000
Per game: $466,667
Per minute of game time: $7,778
Per second of game time: $129.63
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14. Pat Fitzgerald
School for upcoming 2022 season: Northwestern
Conference: Big Ten
2022 salary:
Pay: $5,748,000
Per game: $479,000
Per minute of game time: $7,983
Per second of game time: $133.06
13. James Franklin
School for upcoming 2022 season: Penn State
Conference: Big Ten
2022 salary:
Pay: $7,000,000
Per game: $583,333
Per minute of game time: $9,722
Per second of game time: $162.04
12. Jim Harbaugh
School for upcoming 2022 season: Michigan
Conference: Big Ten
2022 salary:
Pay: $7,050,000
Per game: $587,500
Per minute of game time: $9,792
Per second of game time: $163.19
11. Lane Kiffin
School for upcoming 2022 season: Mississippi
Conference: SEC
2022 salary:
Pay: $7,250,000
Per game: $604,167
Per minute of game time: $10,069
Per second of game time: $167.82
10. Jimbo Fisher
School for upcoming 2022 season: Texas A&M
Conference: SEC
2022 salary:
Pay: $7,500,000
Per game: $625,000
Per minute of game time: $10,417
Per second of game time: $173.61
9. Mario Cristobal
School for upcoming 2022 season: Miami (Fla.)
Conference: ACC
2022 salary:
Pay: $8,000,000
Per game: $666,667
Per minute of game time: $11,111
Per second of game time: $185.19
8. Dabo Swinney
School for upcoming 2022 season: Clemson
Conference: ACC
2022 salary:
Pay: $8,370,775
Per game: $697,565
Per minute of game time: $11,626
Per second of game time: $193.77
7. David Shaw
School for upcoming 2022 season: Stanford
Conference: Pac-12
2022 salary:
Pay: $8,925,000
Per game: $743,750
Per minute of game time: $12,936
Per second of game time: $206.60
4. (tie) Ryan Day
School for upcoming 2022 season: Ohio State
Conference: Big Ten
2022 salary:
Pay: $9,500,000
Per game: $791,667
Per minute of game time: $13,194
Per second of game time: $219.91
4. (tie) Mel Tucker
School for upcoming 2022 season: Michigan State
Conference: Big Ten
2022 salary:
Pay: $9,500,000
Per game: $791,667
Per minute of game time: $13,194
Per second of game time: $219.91
4. (tie) Brian Kelly
School for upcoming 2022 season: Louisiana State
Conference: SEC
2022 salary:
Pay: $9,500,000
Per game: $791,667
Per minute of game time: $13,194
Per second of game time: $219.91
3. Nick Saban
School for upcoming 2022 season: Alabama
Conference: SEC
2022 salary:
Pay: $9,753,221
Per game: $812,768
Per minute of game time: $13,5464
Per second of game time: $225.77
2. Lincoln Riley
School for upcoming 2022 season: University of Southern California
Conference: Pac-12
2022 salary:
Pay: $10,000,000 (this is a widely sourced estimate, as USC does not release official salary information)
Per game: $833,333
Per minute of game time: $13,889
Per second of game time: $231.48
1. Kirby Smart
School for upcoming 2022 season: Georgia
Conference: SEC
2022 salary:
Pay: $11,250,000
Per game: $937,500
Per minute of game time: $15,625
Per second of game time: $260.42
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Andrew Lisa contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: GOBankingRates looked at NBCSports "Looking at the top college football head coach salaries in 2022" data and found the 15 highest paid college football coaches for the 2022 season. For each of the highlighted college football coaches GOBankingRates found (1) 2022 salary; (2) 2022 salary per regular season game; (3) 2022 salary per minute of gametime; and (4) 2022 salary per second of gametime. All data was collected and is up to date as of August 3, 2022.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Highest-Paid College Football Coaches for the 2022 Season
