It’s no secret that there’s an abundance of cash flowing around college football — and players still are not being compensated for their work — and a lot of it ends up in the pockets of the head coaches. Sometimes, they’re the highest-paid public employees in a state.
College football coaches have massive salaries that don’t seem to be decreasing anytime soon, and many of them have eight-figure buyouts built into their contracts. But thanks to USA TODAY Sports‘ detailed database, which was published Monday, we know how much most coaches are being paid this season.
So here’s a look at the top-25 highest-paid college football coaches in 2023, according to USA TODAY Sports.
25
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
Total pay: $6,000,000
24
Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Total pay: $6,125,000
23
Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Total pay: $6,325,000
22
Sam Pittman, Arkansas
Total pay: $6,357,500
21
Brett Bielema, Illinois
Total pay: $6,500,000
20
Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Total pay: $6,500,000
19
Dan Lanning, Oregon
Total pay: $6,624,999
18
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Total pay: $7,000,000
17
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Total pay: $7,100,000
16
Billy Napier, Florida
Total pay: $7,270,000
15
Mike Norvell, Florida State
Total pay: $7,300,000
14
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Total pay: $7,625,000
13
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
Total pay: $7,625,000
12
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Total pay: $8,254,600
11
James Franklin, Penn State
Total pay: $8,500,000
10
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Total pay: $9,000,000
9
Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Total pay: $9,000,000
8
Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Total pay: $9,013,600
7
Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
Total pay: $9,150,000
6
Brian Kelly, LSU
Total pay: $9,975,000
5
Mel Tucker, Michigan State*
Total pay: $10,015,350
*After Tucker was suspended without pay on September 10, Michigan State officially fired him for cause on September 27. A USA TODAY Sports investigation published September 10 revealed allegations of sexual harassment.
4
Ryan Day, Ohio State
Total pay: $10,271,250
3
Kirby Smart, Georgia
Total pay: $10,705,600
2
Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Total pay: $10,884,775
1
Nick Saban, Alabama
Total pay: $11,407,000
