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USA Today Analysis Shows College Football Coaches' Pay Soaring; Pac-12, SEC Lead

The average annual salary for major college football head coaches “is $1.64 million, up nearly 12% over last season -- and more than 70% since 2006, when USA TODAY Sports began tracking coaches' compensation,” according to a front-page Cover Story by Brady, Berkowitz & Upton of USA TODAY. Coaches' pay has “even outpaced the pay of corporate executives, who have drawn the ire of Congress and the public because of their staggering compensation packages." Univ. of Alabama coach Nick Saban is the “highest paid at $5.5 million,” and he is one of four SEC coaches "among the top eight.” Univ. of Texas coach Mack Brown is “the second-highest, pulling in $5.4 million” (USA TODAY, 11/20). The conference with “the highest average compensation for its head football coaches" is the Big 12, whose 10 coaches are "pulling down slightly less than $3 million a man.” The SEC, which “led the field by far last season, saw a nearly quarter-million-dollar decrease in its average and has the second highest: more than $2.7 million a coach” (USA TODAY, 11/20). USA TODAY lists the salaries of all available FBS coaches’ pay. To calculate the total pay packages for their current contract years, the newspaper “requested all forms of compensation for the coach at all 124 schools.” About 20 of the schools are “private or are public schools covered under state law exempting them from releasing salary data on coaches.” Any pay the university “guaranteed (even if paid by shoe/apparel company or another source) is listed as ‘school pay.’” Anything “not guaranteed by the university is listed as ‘other’ pay" (USA TODAY, 11/20). The following are all coaches who make at least $2.5M.

SCHOOL COACH
SCHOOL PAY
OTHER
TOTAL
MAX BONUS
Alabama Nick Saban
$5,316,667
$160,071
$5,476,738
$700,000
Texas Mack Brown
$5,292,500
$61,250
$5,353,750
$850,000
Oklahoma Bob Stoops
$4,550,000
$0
$4,550,000
$819,500
Ohio State Urban Meyer
$4,250,000
$50,000
$4,300,000
$450,000
LSU Les Miles
$3,751,000
$105,417
$3,856,417
$700,000
Iowa Kirk Ferentz
$3,835,000
$0
$3,835,000
$1,750,000
South Carolina Steve Spurrier
$3,550,000
$35,000
$3,585,000
$1,550,000
Auburn Gene Chizik
$3,500,000
$77,500
$3,577,500
$1,200,000
Oregon Chip Kelly
$3,500,000
N/A
$3,500,000
$900,000
TCU Gary Patterson
$3,467,926
N/A
$3,467,926
N/A
Oklahoma State Mike Gundy
$3,275,000
N/A
$3,275,000
$550,000
Michigan Brady Hoke
$3,046,120
$0
$3,046,120
$525,000
Arizona State Todd Graham
$3,000,000
N/A
$3,000,000
$2,050,000
Georgia Mark Richt
$2,811,340
$114,000
$2,925,340
$1,000,000
Nebraska Bo Pelini
$2,875,000
N/A
$2,875,000
$1,000,000
Florida State Jimbo Fisher
$2,750,000
$0
$2,750,000
$675,000
Missouri Gary Pinkel
$2,700,000
$0
$2,700,000
$850,000
Wisconsin Bret Bielema
$2,600,000
$40,140
$2,640,140
$400,000
California Jeff Tedford
$2,600,000
N/A
$2,600,000
$255,000
Mississippi State Dan Mullen
$2,600,000
$0
$2,600,000
$650,000
Virginia Mike London
$2,552,760
$3,700
$2,556,460
$715,000
Kansas Charlie Weis
$2,500,000
N/A
$2,500,000
$615,000

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