Nick Saban, Lincoln Riley And The Highest-Paid College Football Coaches In America
Nick Saban took over the storied Alabama football program in 2007, and in his 14 seasons in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide has won six national championships, including in 2020. Same as usual.
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But that was the only usual thing about the 2020 college football season. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Saturday traditions just weren’t the same. In some conferences, a full slate of games was played, even if it meant postponing and rescheduling games if a team faced a COVID-19 outbreak. In others, games were canceled outright because of the threat of the virus. Some games were played in cavernous stadiums with zero fans to try to stop the spread, the boisterous student sections, the marching bands and the cheerleaders silenced.
Conferences are hopeful that the 2021 college season can go on as scheduled, with few to no interruptions. The coaches spent the summer preparing their game plans -- and their players -- while keeping COVID-19 protocols front and center. And now that the season has arrived, it’s time to turn the focus, at least briefly, to the head coaches — and their compensation.
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Saban leads the pay game, earning $9.3 million in his championship season in 2020, but there’s much more to coaching than what we see on television. Head coaches must put together and manage a network of assistant coaches, trainers, managers and support staff. They have to navigate complex and strict rules established by the NCAA and their individual schools. 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. Coaches' responsibilities are vast, and so is their pay. In fact, in many states, the highest-paid public employee will be the head football or basketball coach of a state-run university.
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To determine the top 25 highest-paid Division I college football coaches, GOBankingRates used USA Today's data on NCAA football coach salaries from the 2020 college football season. See which coaches earn the most for their efforts on and off the field.
Last updated: Sept. 28, 2021
Paul Chryst
School: Wisconsin
Conference: Big Ten
Scheduled school pay: $4,250,000
Total pay: $3,983,750
Pandemic reduction: $318,750
Buyout: $15,328,333
2020 record: 4-3
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Pat Narduzzi
School: Pittsburgh
Conference: ACC
Scheduled school pay: N/A
Total pay: $4,075,994
Pandemic reduction: N/A
Buyout: N/A
2020 record: 6-5
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Mike Gundy
School: Oklahoma State
Conference: Big 12
Scheduled school pay: $4,250,000
Total pay: $4,158,854
Pandemic reduction: $312,500
Buyout: $6,351,563
2020 record: 8-3
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Justin Fuente
School: Virginia Tech
Conference: ACC
Scheduled school pay: $4,250,000
Total pay: $4,250,000
Pandemic reduction: $0
Buyout: $12,500,000
2020 record: 5-6
P.J. Fleck
School: Minnesota
Conference: Big Ten
Scheduled school pay: $4,600,000
Total pay: $4,281,680
Pandemic reduction: $548,320
Buyout: $18,697,250
2020 record: 3-4
Chip Kelly
School: UCLA
Conference: Pac-12
Scheduled school pay: $4,300,000
Total pay: $4,300,000
Pandemic reduction: $0
Buyout: $9,000,000
2020 record: 3-4
Clay Helton
School: Southern California
Conference: Pac-12
Scheduled school pay: N/A
Total pay: $4,569,507
Pandemic reduction: N/A
Buyout: N/A
2020 record: 5-1
Kyle Whittingham
School: Utah
Conference: Pac-12
Scheduled school pay: $5,000,000
Total pay: $4,634,178
Pandemic reduction: $365,822
Buyout: $21,250,000
2020 record: 3-2
Kirk Ferentz
School: Iowa
Conference: Big Ten
Scheduled school pay: $4,900,000
Total pay: $4,670,750
Pandemic reduction: $393,000
Buyout: $20,721,250
2020 record: 6-2
David Shaw
School: Stanford
Conference: Pac-12
Scheduled school pay: N/A
Total pay: $4,812,197
Pandemic reduction: N/A
Buyout: N/A
2020 record: 5-1
Scott Frost
School: Nebraska
Conference: Big Ten
Scheduled school pay: $5,000,000
Total pay: $4,833,333
Pandemic reduction: $166,667
Buyout: $25,375,000
2020 record: 3-5
Mike Leach
School: Mississippi State
Conference: SEC
Scheduled school pay: $5,000,000
Total pay: $5,000,000
Pandemic reduction: $0
Buyout: N/A
2020 record: 5-5
Mark Stoops
School: Kentucky
Conference: SEC
Scheduled school pay: $5,000,000
Total pay: $5,013,600
Pandemic reduction: $0
Buyout: $23,750,000
2020 record: 5-6
Mel Tucker
School: Michigan State
Conference: Big Ten
Scheduled school pay: $5,057,000
Total pay: $5,057,250
Pandemic reduction: $266,000
Buyout: $23,186,513
2020 record: 2-5
Pat Fitzgerald
School: Northwestern
Conference: Big Ten
Scheduled school pay: N/A
Total pay: $5,218,658
Pandemic reduction: N/A
Buyout: N/A
2020 record: 7-2
Ryan Day
School: Ohio State
Conference: Big Ten
Scheduled school pay: $5,748,264
Total pay: $5,651,694
Pandemic reduction: $236,877
Buyout: $45,464,910
2020 record: 7-1, lost College Football Playoff national championship
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Dan Mullen
School: Florida
Conference: SEC
Scheduled school pay: $6,070,000
Total pay: $6,070,000
Pandemic reduction: $0
Buyout: $12,000,000
2020 record: 8-4
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Gary Patterson
School: TCU
Conference: Big 12
Scheduled school pay: N/A
Total pay: $6,130,937
Pandemic reduction: N/A
Buyout: N/A
2020 record: 6-4
Lincoln Riley
School: Oklahoma
Conference: Big 12
Scheduled school pay: $6,507,143
Total pay: $6,202,726
Pandemic reduction: $515,000
Buyout: $30,974,666
2020 record: 9-2
Kirby Smart
School: Georgia
Conference: SEC
Scheduled school pay: $6,803,600
Total pay: $6,933,600
Pandemic reduction: $0
Buyout: $19,835,834
2020 record: 8-2
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Jimbo Fisher
School: Texas A&M
Conference: SEC
Scheduled school pay: $7,500,000
Total pay: $7,500,000
Pandemic reduction: $0
Buyout: $53,125,000
2020 record: 9-1
Jim Harbaugh
School: Michigan
Conference: Big Ten
Scheduled school pay: $8,054,000
Total pay: $8,036,179
Pandemic reduction: $554,584
Buyout: $6,367,929
2020 record: 2-4
Dabo Swinney
School: Clemson
Conference: ACC
Scheduled school pay: $8,258,575
Total pay: $8,319,775
Pandemic reduction: $1,250,000
Buyout: $50,000,000
2020 record: 10-2
Ed Orgeron
School: LSU
Conference: SEC
Scheduled school pay: $8,687,500
Total pay: $8,918,500
Pandemic reduction: $0
Buyout: $23,850,000
2020 record: 5-5
Nick Saban
School: Alabama
Conference: SEC
Scheduled school pay: $9,100,000
Total pay: $9,300,000
Pandemic reduction: $0
Buyout: $36,800,000
2020 record: 13-0, won College Football Playoffs national championship
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Jami Farkas contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: To find the highest-paid college football coaches, GOBankingRates used USA Today's data on NCAA football coach salaries from the 2020 college football season. GOBanking Rates found the following factors for the 25 highest-paid AND currently employed college football coaches: (1) college name; (2) conference; (3) coach name; (4) scheduled school pay; (5) total pay; (6) total pandemic reduction; and (7) school buyout clause. All data was collected and is up to date as of Sept. 1, 2021.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Nick Saban, Lincoln Riley And The Highest-Paid College Football Coaches In America
