
Who is the highest paid coach in college football? There’s more money than ever invested in college football, with programs operating with historic NIL and staff budgets for football. As a result, the salaries for the highest-paid college football coaches in 2024 have exploded.
One important thing to keep in mind when examining the highest-paid college football coaches is that many of them in recent years (Mel Tucker and Jimbo Fisher) have been fired with others likely joining them in the years to come.
Here are the highest paid college football coaches after the 2024 season.
Highest paid college football coaches
10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky Wildcats – $9 million

Interest from the Texas A&M Aggies during the 2023 college football coaching carousel forced the Kentucky Wildcats into a corner, resulting in a lucrative Mark Stoops contract extension. The deal backfired within a year. Kentucky finished the season with a 4-8 record its worst season under Stoops since his first season back in 2023. While Kentucky seemed to be on the rise in 2021, winning 10 games, it has failed to win eight games in a season since then. Stoops’ buyout prevented him from being fired in 2024, but he will be on the hot seat in 2025 with his buyout steadily declining.
- Mark Stoops buyout: $44.437 million
Related: Heisman Watch 2024
9. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels – $9 million

Since taking over as the Ole Miss Rebels coach in 2020, Lane Kiffin has positioned himself to become one of the highest-paid college football coaches. Kiffin delivered two seasons (2021 and 2023) with double-digit wins, posting a 2-2 bowl record with the Rebels. Ole Miss went 9-3 during the 2024 season, with losses to Kentucky, LSU and Florida keeping the Rebels out of the College Football Playoff. Through his first five seasons, Kiffin ranks fourth all-time in Rebels’ history for wins (43) and he has the second-highest winning percentage (.705) in program history behind only John Vaught (190-61-12, .745).
- Lane Kiffin contract: $9 million average annual value over 8 seasons
Related: Best college football teams ever
8. Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers – $9.975 million

The LSU Tigers coaching search is probably one of the most expensive in college football history. LSU paid Ed Orgeron a $17 million buyout then immediately poached Brian Kelly from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with a $95 million deal. However, the results haven’t come close to the championship expectations laid out for Kelly.
- Brian Kelly contract: $9.5 million AAV, $95 million over 10 years, $500,000 bonus for every year as HC
In three seasons with Kelly, the Tigers have combined for a 28-11 record. LSU has two bowl wins over that time, but it has failed to make the College Football Playoff, including in the expanded 12-team format. Through three seasons, Kelly (.718 winning percentage) has the same winning percentage as Ed Orgeron and he is well under Les Miles (.770) and Nick Saban (.750). The Tigers also lost 2025 No. 1 QB recruit Bryce Underwood during the 2024 season to the Michigan Wolverines.
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7. Bill Belichick, North Carolina Tar Heels – $10 million

The North Carolina Tar Heels hired head coach Bill Belichick in December 2024, landing arguably the greatest coach in NFL history. Belichick, who has never coached at the collegiate level, immediately became one of the highest-paid college football coaches in 2025. Belichick will earn a $10 million annual salary, right in line with Kalen DeBoer, Mike Norvell and Lincoln Riley. While Belichick’s contract initially includes a $10 million buyout if he wants to leave for the NFL, that buyout drops to $1 million in June.
- Bill Belichick buyout: $10 million until June 1, 2025. $1 million buyout after June 1
6. Mike Norvell, Florida State Seminoles – $10 million

After finishing last season undefeated and winning the ACC championship, only to be kept out of the four-team College Football Playoff, Mike Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles collapsed in 2024. The Seminoles finished the season with a 2-10 record, not only failing to make a bowl game but also only beating one FCS school (Cal-Berkeley) the entire year. Norvell will be on the hot seat in 2025 after delivering the third-worst season in Seminoles’ football history.
- Mike Norvell contract: $9.875 million base salary in 2024, $10.835 million salary in 2031.
- Mike Norvell buyout: $63.778 million
Related: Heisman Trophy winners
5. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Crimson Tide – $10 million salary

After turning the Washington Huskies into a college football power with one of the best offenses in the Modern Era, Kalen DeBoer rolled the dice as the coach to replace Nick Saban. No one will ever replicate Saban’s accomplishments with the Alabama Crimson Tide, but DeBoer has won everywhere he’s been and his offenses are electric. However, his first season as the new Crimson Tide coach went poorly.
- Kalen DeBoer coaching record: 46-12 overall, 9-3 with the Alabama Crimson Tide
After losing just three total games over the last two seasons at Washington, DeBoer lost three games in 2024 with Alabama. The Crimson Tide lost to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma, losing to two unranked teams for the first time in decades. Alabama also failed to make the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024, putting Day under pressure next season. However, his hefty buyout should buy him more time.
- Kalen DeBoer buyout: $70 million
Related: College Football standings
5. Ryan Day, Ohio State Buckeyes – $10.021 million salary

The Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to retain Ryan Day for the 2025 season, both because of his overall record and his buyout. Despite losing to the Michigan Wolverines in four consecutive years, Day still owns a career 66-10 record since becoming the Buckeyes coach in 2018. Ohio State has also won three Big Ten championships during Day’s tenure and it made the College Football Playoff in 2024.
- Ryan Day contract: $250,000 annual retention bonus, $10.2 million salary in 2024. Under contract through 2028
- Ryan Day buyout: $37.276 million in 2025
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4. Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans – $10.043 million

The USC Trojans made Lincoln Riley one of the highest paid college football coaches ever when they poached him from the University of Oklahoma ahead of the 2022 season. However, the Trojans’ football program has progressively worsened in each season with Riley at the helm. USC went 11-3 in his first year with Caleb Williams winning the Heisman Trophy then it finished 8-5 in 2023. After Williams was taken with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Riley’s Trojans finished 6-6 in 2024. Riley is considered to be on the college football coaches hot seat in 2025.
Related: College Football schedule 2024
3. Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns – $10.6 million salary

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian is one of the highest-paid college football coaches right now after leading the program to College Football Playoff appearances in consecutive years. The Longhorns also went to the SEC Championship Game in their first season as members of the top conference in college football. Sarkisian’s only two losses in 2024 came against the Georgia Bulldogs, led by the highest-paid coach in college football (Kirby Smart).
2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers – $11.132 million salary

Dabo Swinney remains one of the highest-paid coaches in all of sports with the Clemson Tigers last extending his contract in 2022. However, the results haven’t necessarily reflected the salary in recent seasons. Clemson went 9-4 in 2023, its first season with single-digit wins since 2010. The Tigers also have 12 losses in the last four seasons (2020-’23), which surpasses the loss total (five) from 2015-’19.
- Dabo Swinney contract: $115 million over 10 years
In 2024, Clemson made the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff as ACC champions despite losing three games during the regular season. While Swinney hasn’t received a pay raise in recent years, Clemson is beginning to invest more in its NIL program.
Related: Highest-paid college football players 2024
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs – $13.282 million salary

A two-time national champion with the Georgia Bulldogs, Kirby Smart is the highest-paid college football coach right now. Not only is Smart the only college football coach making $13-plus million annually, he’s the only coach with a total pay in excess of $12 million. This past season, Smart won his third SEC championship. He is also a three-time SEC Coach of the Year.
College Football Coach salaries 2024
Here are some other notable salaries for some of the other highest-paid coaches in college football right now.
- Josh Heupel salary (Tennessee): $9 million
- Eli Drinkwitz salary (Missouri): $9 million
- James Franklin salary (Penn State): $8.5 million
- Brent Venables salary (Oklahoma): $8.15 million
- Mario Cristobal salary (Miami): $8 million
- Mike Gundy salary (Oklahoma State): $7.75 million
- Billy Napier salary (Florida): $7.27 million
- Dan Lanning salary (Oregon): $7 million
- Mike Elko salary (Texas A&M): $7 million
- Deion Sanders salary (Colorado): $5.7 million
Who are the highest-paid college football coaches?
Kirby Smart (Georgia Bulldogs), Dabo Swinney Clemson Tigers), Steve Sarkisian (Texas Longhorns), Ryan Day (Ohio State Buckeyes) and Bill Belichick (North Carolina Tar Heels) are the highest-paid college football coaches right now.
Also Read: NFL defense rankings 2024
Who is the highest-paid coach in college history?
Nick Saban is the highest-paid coach in college football history, having earned approximately $150 million during his legendary career as a head coach.
Also Read: Top 100 NFL players 2024
What is Deion Sanders salary?
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders makes $5.7 million in 2024. He signed a five-year contract with Colorado worth $29.5 million, not including reachable incentives and bonuses in his contract. By the end of his contract, Sanders will be making more than $6 million per year.
How much money do college football coaches make?
The average salary for college football coaches varies by the level of competition, conference and the state of the team. It was found that the average college football coach’s compensation in 2022 was $1.75 million.
Who is the highest paid assistant coach in college football?
Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is the highest-paid assistant coach in college football, earning a $2.3 million salary this season with a $2.5 million salary in 2025 followed by a $2.7 million salary in 2025 from Michigan.
How many college football coaches are the highest paid state employees?
A majority of college football coaches for the top programs in the nation are the highest-paid state employees. Research found that more than 60 percent of the highest-paid coaches in college football are also the highest-paid state employees.