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10 Highest Paid College Football Coaches: 2023 Edition

highest paid college football coaches

How much do the highest paid college football coaches earn? Head coaches of NCAA athletic programs are the highest paid public employees across most American states and they’re tasked with bringing home championships for these billion dollar institutions. 

Highest Paid College Football Coaches

Amongst the list of highest paid college football coaches is a former NFL head coach and they’re all paid higher than the average NFL head coach. Let’s take a look at the top ten paid coaches in NCAA football and what their salaries are. 

10. Jimbo Fisher – Texas A&M ($7.5m)

Fisher remains the 10th highest paid college football coach from our list last season. He was hired by Texas A&M following his resignation from Florida State in 2017 and was tasked with rejuvenating a struggling program at Texas A&M.

He’s helped the Aggies head in the right direction finishing 9-1 in 2020 and going on to win the Orange Bowl. He’ll be looking to improve on a regressive 2022 season with Texas A&M averaging 22.8 points per game and finishing with a 5-7 record.

9. Lane Kiffin – Ole Miss ($9m)

Former Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin joined Ole Miss in 2020 and he had a remarkable 2021 season finishing 10-3 (6-2 SEC) and second place in the Western Division. He’s one of only three coaches in Ole Miss history to lead the team to three consecutive bowl bids.

Kiffin will be looking to get the most out of quarterback Jaxson Dart to improve on their 2022 season of 8-5 (4-4 SEC) and a Texas Bowl loss to Texas Tech and he’ll need to do so to fully justify his $9 million salary.

8. Matt Rhule – Nebraska ($9.25m)

The Carolina Panthers sacked head coach Matt Rhule in 2022 and the Nebraska Cornhuskers signed him up to an eight-year contract. His total $74 million contract makes him one of the highest paid college football coaches and the third highest paid in the Big Ten.

In 2013 Rhule became head coach at Temple and turned around a program against the odds. His success at turning around a scandalous Baylor program also earned him the Panthers job and Nebraska will be looking to Rhule to set up the team for long term success.

7. Ryan Day – Ohio State ($9.5m)

Ryan Day moves down a spot to become the seventh highest paid college football coach and remains on a salary of $9.5 million. He replaced legendary coach and through his first 38 games at Ohio State, had a 34-4 record and an appearance in the College Football National Championship game in 2020. 

Day earned $6.6 million in 2021 before signing an extension which boosted his salary by almost $3 million a season. He’ll look to go even better than the Buckeye’s 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten) record and Peach Bowl loss to Georgia in 2022.  

6. Mel Tucker – Michigan State ($9.5m)

After his hiring in 2020, Tucker was disappointing in his first season after going only 2-5 at the helm of the Spartans. After an 11-win season including a triumph in the Peach Bowl in late 2021, Tucker earned a 10-year contract extension worth $9.5 million per year.

Just under $6 million is in base salary and the rest is additional compensation, boosting his average salary into the top five. He’ll be looking to improve in his fourth season, with the Spartans failing to qualify for a bowl game with a 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) record. 

5. Brian Kelly – LSU ($9.5m)

Brian Kelly insisted it would take $250 million for him to leave Notre Dame, but then bolted days later for far less than that. Leaving for another school has been the norm for Kelly, who also departed Cincinnati for Notre Dame. Kelly is a man in demand however with a winning percentage of over 72%. 

While initial reports had Kelly’s salary at $100 million over 10 years, the official deal was for $95 million during the period. The Tigers are confident that Kelly, who went 113-40 at Notre Dame, can bring a title to LSU. He’ll be looking to capitalize on LSU’s 10-4 (6-2 SEC) record and SEC Championship Game loss to Georgia in 2022.  

4. Lincoln Riley – USC ($10m)

While USC isn’t required to reveal details on Riley’s deal since it is a private school, all estimates point towards at least $10 million per year. Riley has a coaching record of 66-13 with one bowl win in five appearances. 

Riley turned around an average Trojans team who went 22-21 in the four years prior to last season. The Trojans are yet to win a bowl game since 2016 but an impressive 11-3 (8-1 PAC-12) record in the 2022 season is something to build on.

3. Dabo Swinney – Clemson ($10.5m)

The Clemson Tigers made six consecutive playoff appearances between 2015-2020 and head coach Dabo Swinney has been a big part of that. Since he took over in 2009 he’s taken Clemson to national championships in 2016 and 2018.

It’s clear that Swinney has earned his paycheck by turning the team into an ACC powerhouse. He has a winning record of over 80% and will be looking to improve on their 11-3 record and ACC Championship winning season in 2022, where they went on to lose the Orange Bowl to the Tennessee Volunteers.

2. Kirby Smart – Georgia ($11.25m)

Kirby Smart learned under Nick Saban in Alabama as his defensive coordinator before landing the head coaching job at Georgia in 2016. Smart has dropped into second place after being the highest paid college football coach last season. 

Smart is currently on a contract that spans 10 years and has earned his pay with 8 bowl wins in 10 appearances. He has a winning record above 84% and led Georgia to back-to-back National Championships in 2021 and 2022.

The Bulldogs’ perfect 2022 season will be almost impossible to top, with Kirby steering the team to a 15-0 (8-0 SEC) record, taking out the SEC Championship, the Peach Bowl and National Championship Game.

1. Nick Saban – Alabama ($11.7m)

Nick Saban is the highest paid college football coach after moving up from third place last season. Arguably the best college football coach of all time it’s not a surprise he’s earning so much. He’s won seven national championships with six of those being with the Crimson Tide.

The former Miami Dolphins head coach finished 11-2 (6-2 SEC) in Saban’s 16th season in Alabama after losing the National Championship Game in 2021. The Crimson Tide were crowned Sugar Bowl champions after defeating Kansas State and will aim to become national champions for the first time since 2020.

Matt Ieriko

Matt Ieriko is a freelance writer who’s evolved his lifelong passion for sport into the creation of WolfgangSport.com in 2020 – an American sports blog covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS and more. As an Australian, he’s always been fascinated with the cultural differences and global significance of sports in America.

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