“You get what you pay for” is an adage proven correct more often than not when buying batteries and cheese, but does it apply to Southeastern Conference football coaches?

Nine coaches in the SEC will make $4 million this season. The ones that won’t are the three newcomers (Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Missouri’s Barry Odom, South Carolina’s Will Muschamp) and the two coaches of the conference’s traditional doormats (Kentucky’s Mark Stoops and Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason, who is believed to make $2.5 million a season).

But are the teams getting return on their investments? Here are the records of SEC teams under their $4 million men.

ALABAMA

COACH: Nick Saban
SALARY: $7.09 million annually
RECORD: 105-18

It took Chuck Noll 11 seasons in Pittsburgh beating out up to 27 other teams to win four Super Bowls, and Bill Belichick 15 seasons topping 31 NFL teams to do the same. In just nine seasons at Alabama, Saban has toppled as many as 127 other Division I and 65 “major” programs to win four national championships. Throw in the one Saban earned in 2003 at LSU, and he has five. Whether it is more difficult to win a Super Bowl or national championship is debatable, but Alabama is definitely getting a return on its investment in making Saban the SEC’s wealthiest coach.

NOTE: Five of the above victories on Saban’s record have been vacated by the NCAA due to textbook-related infractions stemming from Mike Shula’s coaching career at Alabama. Therefore, Saban’s official record with the Crimson Tide is 100-18.

TEXAS A&M

COACH: Kevin Sumlin
SALARY: $5 million
RECORD: 36-16

There are rumors Sumlin is on the hot seat this season despite the fact the Aggies have never had worse than an 8-5 record in his four-year tenure. But those records have come in the past two seasons without Johnny Manziel, with whom Sumlin peaked in 2012 at 11-2. As the second-highest paid coach in the conference, Texas A&M is not paying Sumlin to regress.

OLE MISS

COACH: Hugh Freeze
SALARY: $4.7 million
RECORD: 34-18

After inheriting a 2-10 team that had just set the school record for losses in a season, Freeze has never had a losing season in Oxford. Though the NCAA may wonder how exactly Ole Miss is winning in a manner arguably not seen since the Johnny Vaught days, the Rebels are paying Freeze enough that it will be difficult for another school to take his modern offense philosophies away from them. Every season his contract merits a $150,000 raise. So far, he’s earned it.

LSU

COACH: Les Miles
SALARY: $4.39 million
RECORD: 112-32

After a national championship in 2007 and the best winning percentage (.778) by anybody who’s coached more than a season at LSU, the Tigers are getting return on their investment as “The Mad Hatter” makes less money than three other coaches in the conference and roughly the same amount as five others. Then again, if the Tigers do finish behind Alabama, Texas A&M and Ole Miss this season, LSU fans may feel they are, indeed, getting what they pay for.

AUBURN

COACH: Gus Malzahn
SALARY: $4.35 million
RECORD: 27-13

Malzahn is being paid for his outstanding debut season three years ago, when the Tigers nearly won the national championship. It’s likely Auburn wants more than a 7-6 return on their investment.

FLORIDA

COACH: JIM McELWAIN
SALARY: $4.25 million
RECORD: 10-4

Throw in his 2014 record at Colorado State, and McElwain is 20-6 the last two seasons. If he was a baseball pitcher with that record in a season, he’d likely be holding out for more money, but despite a less-than-stellar finish, the Gators’ division championship last year made the money spent luring McElwain from the Rams worthwhile.

TENNESSEE

COACH: BUTCH JONES
SALARY: $4.13 million
RECORD: 21-17

Jones’ record may seem modest for his salary, but he has had only one really notable season in his revival effort. Still, due to some off-the-field allegations, it may be difficult for Jones to get significant raises in the future or suitors from other major college programs to play against his current contract.

ARKANSAS

COACH: Bret Bielema
SALARY: $4.06 million
RECORD: 18-20

It takes money to lure a coach from Wisconsin. His overall record with the Razorbacks is somewhat watered down since he had to inherit the program under the ruins of the Bobby Petrino era. An 8-5 record and first winning record in SEC play in the brutal West last season was impressive, but will he be able to consistently win 10 games a season at Arkansas as he did in Madison?

MISSISSIPPI STATE

COACH: Dan Mullen
SALARY: $4 million
RECORD: 55-35

Mullen will likely, though not assuredly, make more than Bielema and perhaps some others this season as the salary listed is from 2015 and his contract calls for him to be paid an average of $4.275 a season. After getting the Bulldogs a No. 1 ranking in 2014 and a 9-4 record last year, many fans will say he deserves it.