What college football coach has the highest buyout? Colleges have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years buying out fired head coaches and assistants, with Jimbo Fisher, Gus Malzahn and Ed Orgeron receiving some of the largest buyouts ever since 2020.
Unsurprisingly, with the salaries for the highest-paid college football coaches rising, the cost of buying out those contracts has exploded. Following a wave of extensions and recently signed deals, we’re highlighting the biggest college football coaches’ buyouts in 2025.
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs – $118 million
Kirby Smart has the highest buyout in college football right now. Coming from the Nick Saban coaching tree, Smart has turned the Georgia Bulldogs into a perennial playoff team and a national championship contender. After winning three national championships, Georgia signed Smart to a 1o-year, $112.5 million contract in 2022. Then, in 2024, the university’s athletic board approved a new contract extension that increased his salary to $13 million annually. As of December 2024, Smart’s buyout is reported at $118.083 million.
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2. Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans – $80-plus million
The exact details of Lincoln Riley’s contract are unknown because the University of Southern California is a private university, allowing it to keep the USC Trojans‘ head coach’s salary and the structure of his contract undisclosed. However, ESPN reported in August that Riley’s buyout is at least $80 million, well behind Kirby Smart but $10 million more than the third-highest buyout in college football. Riley has not exactly brought the Trojans back to prominence, with his only season with double-digit wins coming in his first year with Caleb Williams at quarterback. However, improvements to USC’s recruiting are giving the fan base and boosters hope for the future. That, paired with the massive buyout, is providing him with some added job security.
Related: USC Trojans Football Commits 2026, USC Recruiting Tracker
3. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Crimson Tide – $70.05 million
The calls for the Alabama Crimson Tide to fire head coach Kalen DeBoer started early and have grown louder in 2025. However, two factors make a head-coaching change this year unlikely. First, DeBoer has one of the biggest college football coach buyouts, with an estimated $70 million price tag that does not even include his coordinators’ buyouts or the cost of bringing in a new staff. Realistically, a coaching change would cost Alabama more than $100 million. Second, the Crimson Tide tends to be more patient than to fire a head coach this quickly. Ray Perkins (13-10 in his first two seasons), Mike DuBose (11-12 in his first two seasons) and Mike Shula (10-15 in his first two seasons) all made it into their fourth season as the Crimson Tide head coach before a change was made. Realistically, DeBoer will likely get at least three years at the helm.
Related: Alabama Football Game Today, Crimson Tide Schedule
4. Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers – $61.7 million
The LSU Tigers are no strangers to shelling out tens of millions of dollars to make a head coaching change. When Louisiana State made the change from Ed Orgeron (with a $16.9 million buyout) to Brian Kelly (under a $95 million, 10-year contract), the total cost was over $100 million. Just a few years later, questions about Kelly’s future are emerging. In his first three seasons with the Tigers, Kelly posted a combined 29-11 record, losing three or more games each year. The question is, if this program loses four games in 2025, will LSU be willing to pay Kelly’s $61 million buyout?
Related: LSU Football Game Today, Tigers Football Schedule
5. Mario Cristobal, Miami Hurricanes – $61 million
The Miami Hurricanes brought Mario Cristobal home in 2022, poaching him from the Oregon Ducks and paying the University of Oregon $8 million to make it happen. The Ducks used that money to help get Dan Lanning, who has posted three consecutive seasons with double-digit wins, while Cristobal is still looking for his second. However, hope is on the horizon in 2025 with quarterback Carson Beck and the program’s aspirations for Heisman-caliber play driving them toward consecutive 10-win campaigns. Even if Cristobal falls short in 2025, Miami is unlikely to consider paying his buyout anytime soon.
6. Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers – $60 million
Dabo Swinney has one of the biggest college football coach buyouts, but he might as well be signed to a lifetime contract. The Clemson Tigers have not won a national championship since 2018, and the football program has lost three or more games in each of the last four years. It does not really matter. Swinney is synonymous with Clemson, and the school has no reason to consider firing a coach who can usually win eight or nine games every year. The job is Swinney’s as long as he wants it.
7. Mike Norvell, Florida State Seminoles – $58 million
After a disastrous 2024 season with the Florida State Seminoles, head coach Mike Norvell restructured his contract with changes that included him giving $4.5 million to the university’s Vision of Excellence fundraising campaign, per ESPN. It was certainly a much better option for Florida State than trying to fund the money to cover a $60-plus million buyout. Plus, as ESPN reported, it lowered Norvell’s buyout to $58 million this season. The Seminoles’ athletic department has since invested more in the coaching staff, including the hiring of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. If Norvell delivers another sub-500 season, though, FSU will likely find a way to cover that buyout.
8. James Franklin, Penn State Nittany Lions – $56.66 million
James Franklin has won double-digit games six times as the Penn State Nittany Lions, including in three consecutive seasons from 2022-24. Unfortunately for Penn State, Franklin also entered the 2025 season with a 4-20 record against top-10 opponents. He’s not winning the big games to give the Nittany Lions a shot at making a deep run in the College Football Playoff, but there’s something to be said for winning 10 games consistently. With a buyout reported at $56.666 million in December, per USA Today, Franklin’s job security is firm even if he can’t win the big games.
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9. Matt Rhule, Nebraska Cornhuskers – $56.28 million
Matt Rhule cashed in on an NFL head-coaching gig with the Carolina Panthers in 2020, receiving a seven-year contract worth $62 million. He’s still being paid by Carolina five years later as he works to turn around the Nebraska Cornhuskers football program. Rhule delivered a two-game improvement from 2023-’24 and he’s a big reason why Dylan Raiola is the Cornhuskers’ quarterback. Given Rhule’s buyout and his track record, Nebraska will likely be sticking with him for a while.
10. Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns – $55-plus million
The Texas Longhorns extended the Steve Sarkisian contract in February after he helped the team reach the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season. However, the terms of the new deal haven’t been reported yet. In 2024, it was revealed that Sarkisian’s deal would have a $54.315 million buyout if he were dismissed without cause this year. The new deal, which raised his salary this season from $10.4 million to $10.8 million, is believed to have increased the buyout.
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