Nick Saban was among the weekend’s biggest winners, both on and off the field.
The Alabama coach took home a lot more than just the professional satisfaction of leading the Crimson Tide to another SEC Championship with Saturday’s 29-15 win over overmatched Florida at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
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Per the terms of his contract, Saban, who is paid nearly $7 million annually in salary, earned an extra $125,000 for winning the SEC title and will see another $110,000 in bonus money for reaching the College Football Playoff, according to a report by ESPN Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell.
Nick Saban, who makes $6.9 million this year, gets a $125,000 bonus for winning the SEC title
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 6, 2015
The added income is just the latest for Saban, who made an extra $100,000 in early November for his team’s improved graduation rates from the previous school year.
Saban, however, was hardly alone among SEC coaches cashing in on their team’s success on the field.
Butch Jones will receive a $200,000 bonus for leading the Tennessee Volunteers to the Outback Bowl against Northwestern.
LSU’s Les Miles, who just saved his job, earned an extra $100,000 for making the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl.
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze also brought home a cool $100,000 with Sunday’s confirmation that the Rebels would be playing Oklahoma State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl and another $150,000 for his team’s Top 12 finish in the final College Football Playoff rankings, according to a USA Today report.
Mississippi being No. 12 in final College Football Playoff rankings means $150,000 bonus for coach Hugh Freeze
— Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) December 6, 2015
Mississippi making a CFP non-semi (Sugar Bowl) means $100,000 bonus for coach Hugh Freeze
— Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) December 6, 2015
Florida’s Jim McElwain’s bonus for winning the SEC East and just reaching the SEC Championship game was $37,500, according to the Gainesville Sun.
McElwain will make another $37,500 for guiding the Gators to the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl and could still make an additional $25,000 in bonus money if he is named the SEC Coach of the Year as many expect.
Other SEC coaches to earn bonus money for their team’s bowl bids include Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen ($50,000), Auburn’s Gus Malzahn ($50,000), Arkansas’ Bret Bielema ($50,000) and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin ($50,000).
Georgia will play Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl, but it is not clear whether interim coach Bryan McClendon will receive a bonus. Former coach Mark Richt’s contract included a $50,000 bowl bonus.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
