USA Today released its annual list of college football coaching salary data on Wednesday, revealing compensation for the top coaches in the sport. Georgia coach Kirby Smart checked with the highest salary, at more than $13 million per year. Nine of the top 15 highest-paid coaches come from the SEC.
Lincoln Riley was the highest-ranked coach from the Big Ten with an average annual salary of just over $10 million. That places him fourth behind Smart, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian. Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Oregon’s Dan Lanning are the other representatives from the Big Ten ranked in the top 15.
While it’s no suprirse to see some of the sport’s most successful coaches at the top of this list, big salaries don’t always equate to big results. Through six games this year, some coaches are punching below their weight when it comes to their compensation. On the other hand, one can find several names down the list who are outperforming their current salary. That usually dictates a raise — either by that coach’s current employer or a new suitor — at some point soon.
Here are the best, and worst value contracts in college football based on the results from this season so far.
Best values
Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Salary ranking: 49 Cost per win: $707,333
Cignetti has won everywhere he’s gone and he’ll soon be is due for a big payday at Indiana, or potentially another school. He posted a 52-9 record as the coach at JMU before jumping over to the Big Ten to revive a struggling Indiana program that hasn’t won a bowl game since 1991.
Dan Lanning, Oregon
Salary ranking: 14 Cost per win: $1.37 million
Lanning is one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, but he’s also due for another raise. He should be paid like a top-10 coach because of what he’s done with the Oregon program. After the win over Ohio State last weekend, Oregon should be the favorite to win the Big Ten, and there’s a strong chance his salary gets a nice bump down the line.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Salary ranking: 53 Cost per win: $668,314
Campbell was once one of the hottest names on the coaching market, but since his team finished with a 9-3 record in 2020, the Cyclones have failed to win more than seven games in the last three seasons. Now, Iowa State is off to a 6-0 start and should be one of the top contenders to receive the auto bid to the CFP. It’s safe to say his stock is back up.
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Salary ranking: 56 Cost per win: $790,000
Dillingham has led Arizona State to a 5-1 start — its best since 2019. That in includes an upset win over longtime Pac-12 bully Utah last week. Not only is he succeeding at a program that hasn’t reached the double-digit victory mark since 2014, it comes directly in the wake of a disastrous tenure from predecessor Herm Edwards.
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Salary ranking: 59 Cost per win: $797,436
You can’t put a number value on Vanderbilt’s victory over Alabama earlier this month. The priceless moment means Lea has already earned his paycheck, no matter how the remainder of the season goes for Vanderbilt. The Commodores are two wins away from reaching their first bowl game since 2018.
Worst values
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Salary ranking: 15 Cost per win: $2.03 million
Life in the SEC has been an adjustment for Venables and Oklahoma. The Sooners are 4-2 with wins over Temple, Tulane and Auburn. Oklahoma has lost both games (Tennessee and Texas) against ranked opponents. With ranked games on the schedule against Ole Miss, Missouri and Alabama, there is still time for Venables to notch his first big win in the SEC.
Lincoln Riley, USC
Salary ranking: 4 Cost per win: $3.35 million
USC is 1-3 in conference play for the first time since Pete Carroll patrolled the sidelines in 2001. Riley has lost his last five games against top-five teams dating back to his time at Oklahoma. Since arriving at USC he’s 0-3 against AP top-10 opponents and 4-9 against ranked teams.
Billy Napier, Florida
Salary ranking: 21 Cost per win: $2.46 million
Napier’s seat is getting warmer. The Gators are off to a 3-3 start and are 0-2 (Miami and Tennessee) against ranked opponents. With games looming against Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and in-state rival Florida State, it may get worse before it gets better for Florida.
Mike Norvell, Florida State
Salary ranking: 4 Cost per win: $10 million
It has been a disaster for Norvell and Florida State so far in 2024. The Seminoles are 1-5 and on the verge of missing a bowl game for the third time in Norvell’s tenure. After back-to-back successful seasons that included an undefeated regular season in 2024, Norvell got a massive contract extension this past offseason. There’s still time to right the ship, but the Seminoles may be suffering from buyer’s remorse right now.
Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Salary ranking: 25 Cost per win: $3.4 million
Auburn has the second-worst record in the SEC and is one of two schools that hasn’t won an SEC game this season. Freeze has shown he can recruit at a high level in the SEC, but an 8-11 record won’t cut it as a top-25 paid coach in the sport.
