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USA Today Analysis Shows College Football Coaches' Pay Soaring; Pac-12, SEC Lead
Published November 20, 2012
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.
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| 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
|
