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College Football Coaches Salaries and Buyouts

Chris Wright

By Chris Wright

Last Updated:

Winning a national championship has its perks.

Beyond the trophy and the noterity that come with having the best team in college football, there are also financial rewards for the men who them in the form of contract extensions and hefty raises. So it’s no surprise that some of the nation’s highest-paid coaches are those with titles on their resumés.

Here is the coaching salary and buyout information for the 2025 season. All salary information is via USA Today.

Highest-Paid College Football Coaches

On this page, we’ll identify the highest-paid coaches in college football, what they make in 2025, how much it will take to buy them out and more, based on USA Today’s salary database, released on Oct. 8, 2025.

Let’s dive in:

CoachSchool2025 SalaryBuyout
Kirby SmartGeorgia$13,282,580$105,107,583
Ryan DayOhio State$12,575,000$70,916,667
Lincoln RileyUSC$11,537,560n/a
Dabo SwinneyClemson$11,447,025$60,000,000
Steve SarkisianTexas$10,800,000$60,307,500
Dan LanningOregon$10,400,000$56,733,333
Kalen DeBoerAlabama$10,250,000$60,843,750
Brian KellyLSU$10,175,000*$53,293,333 (Fired, Oct.26)
Bill BelichickNorth Carolina$10,100,000 $20,833,333
Lane KiffinOle Miss$9,000,000$36,600,000
Eliah DrinkwitzMissouri$9,000,000$28,875,685
Josh HeupelTennessee$9,000,000 $37,500,000
Mark StoopsKentucky$9,000,000$37,687,500 (Fired Nov. 30, 2025)
Deion SandersColorado$8,975,000$33,625,000
Matt RhuleNebraska$8,500,000$49,612,500
James FranklinPenn State$8,500,000$48,666,667 (Fired, Oct. 12)
Mario CristobalMiami$8,302,883 n/a
Curt CignettiIndiana$8,300,000$56,700,000
Bret BielemaIllinois$8,200,000$49,491,667
Shane BeamerSouth Carolina$8,150,000$27,903,958
Luke FickellWisconsin$7,825,000$27,493,333
Jedd FischWashington$7,575,024 $33,686,666
Brent VenablesOklahoma$7,552,750$36,158,333
Billy NapierFlorida$7,470,000 $20,428,333 (Fired, Oct. 19)
Kenny DillinghamArizona State$7,442,000$24,683,333

SEC Football Coaches Salaries

Now that Nick Saban has retired, Georgia’s Kirby Smart remains the highest-paid coach in the SEC. How much do the conference’s football coaches make? Here’s a look at what each SEC football coach earns in 2025:

CoachSchool2025 Salary
Kirby SmartGeorgia$13,282,580
Steve SarkisianTexas$10,800,000
Kalen DeBoerAlabama$10,250,000
Brian KellyLSU$10,175,000 (fired)
Mark StoopsKentucky$9,000,000 (fired)
Lane KiffinOle Miss$9,000,000
Eli DrinkwitzMissouri$9,000,000
Josh HeupelTennessee$9,000,000
Shane BeamerSouth Carolina$8,150,000
Brent VenablesOklahoma$7,552,750
Billy NapierFlorida$7,470,000 (fired)
Mike ElkoTexas A&M$7,000,000
Hugh FreezeAuburn$6,734,500 (fired)
Sam PittmanArkansas$6,814,600 (fired)
Jeff Lebby Mississippi State$4,350,000
Clark LeaVanderbilt$3,711,137
Alex GoleshAuburn - new coach$7,400,000

ACC Football Coaches Salaries

Dabo Swinney remains the highest-paid coach in the ACC. But the addition of 6-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick has brought about a major shakeup in the league’s salary hierarchy.

Here is every ACC coach’s salary in 2025. (Note: Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry, and Cal fired Justin Wilcox.)

CoachSchool2025 Salary
Dabo SwinneyClemson$11,447,025
Bill BelichickNorth Carolina$10,100,000
Mario CristobalMiami $8,302,883
Pat NarduzziPittsburgh$7,259,909
Dave DoerenNorth Carolina State$6,215,377
Jeff BrohmLouisville$5,981,057
Mike NorvellFlorida State$5,650,000
Justin WilcoxCalifornia$4,800,000 (fired)
Jake DickertWake Forest$4,800,000
Brent PryVirginia Tech$4,787,500 (fired)
Brent KeyGeorgia Tech$4,500,000
Tony ElliottVirginia$4,406,000
Rhett Lashlee*SMU$2,470,818
Bill O'BrienBoston CollegeN/A
Manny DiazDukeN/A
Frank ReichStanfordN/A
Fran BrownSyracuseN/A

* As private institutions, Boston College, Duke, SMU, Stanford and Syracuse are not required to publish contract details.

Big Ten Football Coaches Salaries

Ryan Day didn’t just get some added job security by leading Ohio State to the 2024-25 national championship. He also got a bump in pay that jumps him to the top of the class among highest-paid Big Ten coaches. He’s now ahead of Southern Cal’s Lincoln Riley.

CoachSchool2025 Salary
Ryan DayOhio State$12,575,000
Lincoln RileyUSC$11,537,560
Dan LanningOregon$10,400,000
Matt RhuleNebraska$8,500,000
James FranklinPenn State$8,500,000 (Fired Oct. 12, 2025)
Curt CignettiIndiana$8,300,000
Bret BielemaIllinois$8,200,000
Luke FickellWisconsin$7,825,000
Jedd FischWashington$7,575,024
Jonathan SmithMichigan State$7,350,000
Kirk FerentzIowa$7,175,000
PJ FleckMinnesota$7,000,000
Greg SchianoRutgers$6,500,000
Sherrone MooreMichigan$6,110,000 (Fired Dec. 10, 2025)
Mike LocksleyMaryland$6,100,000
Barry OdomPurdue$6,050,000
DeShaun FosterUCLA$3,100,000 (fired)
David BraunNorthwesternN/A*

* As a private institution, Northwestern is not required to publish contract details.

College Football Coach Buyouts

Buyouts are a big topic of discussion in college football these days. As pressure to win (and win big) in college football increases, a down year can lead to a coach losing his job.

With that said, let’s take a look at some of the buyouts, both massive and school-friendly, for the current crop of SEC, ACC and Big Ten coaches. These buyout numbers reflect what a school would have to pay a coach to fire him without cause before the end of the 2025 season (figures courtesy of USA Today):

SEC Football Coach Buyouts

A record 5 SEC football coaches were fired in 2025: Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Billy Napier (Florida), Brian Kelly (LSU), Hugh Freeze (Auburn) and Mark Stoops (Kentucky). A 6th coaching change occurred when Lane Kiffin jumped from Ole Miss to LSU. Here’s a look at the buyouts for every SEC football coach.

CoachSchoolBuyout (as of Dec. 1, 2025)
Kirby SmartGeorgia$105,107,583
Steve SarkisianTexas$60,307,500
Kalen DeBoerAlabama$60,843,750
Brian KellyLSU$53,293,333 (fired)
Mark StoopsKentucky$37,687,500 (fired)
Josh HeupelTennessee$37,500,000
Lane KiffinLSU$72,800,000
Brent VenablesOklahoma$36,158,333
Shane BeamerSouth Carolina$27,903,958
Eli DrinkwitzMizzou$28,875,685
Mike ElkoTexas A&M$21,875,000
Billy NapierFlorida$20,428,333 (fired)
Hugh FreezeAuburn$15,437,500 (fired)
Jeff LebbyMississippi State$11,006,250
Sam PittmanArkansas$7,000,000 (fired)
Clark LeaVanderbiltn/a

ACC Football Coach Buyouts

Three ACC coaches were fired this cycle: Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry, triggering his buyout. Cal fired Justin Wilson, triggering his buyout, and Stanford fired Troy Taylor.

CoachSchoolBuyout (on Dec. 1, 2025)
Dabo SwinneyClemson$60,000,000
Mike NorvellFlorida State$58,667,708
Jeff BrohmLouisville$33,633,333
Bill BelichickNorth Carolina$20,833,333
Dave DoerenNorth Carolina State$13,129,456
Tony ElliottVirginia$11,175,000
Brent KeyGeorgia Tech$11,123,333
Justin WilcoxCal$10,879,167 (fired)
Pat NarduzziPittsburgh$7,600,000
Brent PryVirginia Tech$6,000,000 (fired)
Mario CristobalMiamin/a
Bill O'BrienBoston CollegeN/A
Manny DiazDukeN/A
Rhett LashleeSMUN/A
Frank Reich (interim)StanfordN/A
Fran BrownSyracuseN/A
Jake DickertWake ForestN/A

Big Ten Football Coach Buyouts

Four Big Ten coaches were fired during this cycle. UCLA fired DeShaun Foster early in the season. On Oct. 12, 2025, Penn State fired James Franklin, triggering his buyout. Michigan State fired Jonathan Smith, and then, in the biggest surprise, Michigan fired Sherrone Moore with cause, alleging he had an inappropriate relationship with a football staff member.

CoachSchoolBuyout (as of Dec. 1, 2025)
Ryan DayOhio State$70,916,667
Dan LanningOregon$56,733,333
Curt CignettiIndiana$56,700,000
Matt RhuleNebraska$49,612,500
Bret BielemaIllinois$49,491,667
James FranklinPenn State$48,666,667 (Fired Oct. 12, 2025)
Jedd FischWashington$33,686,666
Jonathan SmithMichigan State$33,033,125
Luke FickellWisconsin$27,493,333
PJ FleckMinnesota$26,600,000
Kirk FerentzIowa$25,729,167
Barry OdomPurdue$25,125,000
Greg SchianoRutgers$23,735,156
Sherrone MooreMichigan$13,897,916 (Fired, with cause)
Mike LocksleyMaryland$13,395,417
DeShaun FosterUCLA$7,000,000 (fired)
Lincoln RileyUSCn/a
David BraunNorthwesternN/A

All salary and buyout figures were obtained from a database compiled by USA Today on Oct. 8, 2025.

Coaching Carousel: Hirings, Firings

Here’s a look at the Power Conference schools that will have a new coach in 2026.

SCHOOL2025 COACHREASON2026 COACH
ArkansasSam PittmanFiredRyan Silverfield
AuburnHugh FreezeFiredAlex Golesh
CalJustin WilcoxFiredTosh Lupoi
FloridaBilly NapierFiredJon Sumrall
Iowa StateMatt CampbellLeft for Penn StateJimmy Rogers
KentuckyMark StoopsFiredWill Stein
LSUBrian KellyFiredLane Kiffin
MichiganSherrone MooreFired
Michigan StateJonathan SmithFiredPat Fitzgerald
Oklahoma StateMike GundyFiredEric Morris
Ole MissLane KiffinLeft for LSUPete Golding
Oregon StateTrent BrayFiredJaMarcus Shephard
Penn StateJames FranklinFiredMatt Campbell
StanfordTroy TaylorFiredTavita Pritchard
UCLADeShaun FosterFiredBob Chesney
Virginia TechBrent PryFiredJames Franklin
Washington StateJimmy RogersLeft for Iowa State
Chris Wright
Chris Wright

Managing Editor

A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.

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