Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Oct. 8, 2025, 6:03 a.m. ET
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
Alan Poizner, Imagn Images
Ryan Day, Ohio State, $12,575,000
Adam Cairns, Columbus Dispatchvia USA TODAY NETWORK
Lincoln Riley, Southern California, $11,537,560
Ron Johnson, Imagn Images
Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $11,382,775
Ken Ruinard, GREENVILLE NEWS Via USA TODAY Network
Steve Sarkisian,Texas, $10,800,000
Scott Wachter, Imagn Images
Dan Lanning, Oregon, $10,400,00
Ben Lonergan, The Register-Guard Via USA TODAY NETWORK
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama, $10,250,000
Melina Myers, Imagn Images
Brian Kelly, LSU, $10,175,000
Petre Thomas, Imagn Images
Bill Belichick, North Carolina, $10,100,000
Bob Donnan, Imagn Images
T10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee, $9,000,000
Brianna Paciorka, News Sentinel Via USA TODAY NETWORK
T10. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri, $9,000,000
Denny Medley, Imagn Images
T10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky, $9,000,000
Matt Stone, Courier Journal Via USA TODAY NETWORK
T10. Lane Kiffin, Mississippi, $9,000,000
Petre Thomas, Imagn Images
Deion Sanders, Colorado, $8,975,000
Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images
T15. James Franklin, Penn State, $8,500,000
James Lang, Imagn Images
T15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska, $8,500,00
Dylan Widger, Imagn Images
Mario Cristobal, Miami, $8,302,883
Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Curt Cignetti, Indiana, $8,300,000
Rich Janzaruk, Herald-Times Via USA TODAY NETWORK
Bret Bielema, Illinois, $8,200,000
Ron Johnson, Imagn Images
Shane Beamer, South Carolina, $8,150,000
Jeff Blake, Imagn Images
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin, $7,825,000
Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Via USA TODAY NETWORK
Jedd Fisch, Washington, $7,575,024
Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images
Brent Venables, Oklahoma, $7,552,000
BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN Via USA TODAY NETWORK
Billy Napier, Florida, $7,470,000
Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State, $7,442,000
Patrick Breen, The Republicvia USA TODAY NETWORK
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame, $7,421,201
Michael Caterina, Imagn Images
Jonathan Smith, Michigan State, $7,350,000
Nick King, Lansing State Journal Via USA TODAY NETWORK
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, $7,259,909
Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $7,175,000
Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images
Sonny Dykes, TCU, $7,036,013
Patrick Breen, The Republic Via USA TODAY NETWORK
T31. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota, $7,000,000
Matt Krohn, Imagn Images
T31. Mike Elko, Texas A&M, $7,000,000
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