The landscape of college football coaching salaries keeps shifting. The latest data offers some pretty interesting glimpses into the financial pecking order for FBS head coaches.
USA Today’s annual list is out, and the highest-paid college football coaches of 2025 are a mix of familiar legends and fresh faces climbing the ranks. This year’s list dropped a bit earlier than usual, and it really shows how much schools are pouring into their football programs.
So, who’s at the top? Let’s take a look.
Top Earners in College Football Coaching
Kirby Smart at Georgia leads the pack with a staggering $13.283 million. He’s still the top earner.
Ryan Day from Ohio State, fresh off a national title, is right behind him at $12.575 million. Lincoln Riley at USC claims the third spot with $11.538 million, even though he’s yet to snag a national championship.
Breaking Down the Top 10
Here’s how the rest of the top ten shakes out:
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson: $11.447 million
- Steve Sarkisian, Texas: $10.8 million
- Dan Lanning, Oregon: $10.4 million
- Kalen DeBoer, Alabama: $10.25 million
- Brian Kelly, LSU: $10.175 million
- Bill Belichick, North Carolina: $10.1 million
- Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: $9 million
It’s a mix of championship veterans and ambitious newcomers. There’s something kind of wild about seeing Belichick’s name on a college list, right?
Significant Salary Milestones
The numbers don’t lie—there are some big paydays out there:
- 9 coaches earn at least $10 million
- 13 coaches earn at least $9 million
- 20 coaches earn at least $8 million
- 32 coaches earn at least $7 million
- 42 coaches earn at least $6 million
- 47 coaches earn at least $5 million
- 55 coaches earn at least $4 million
- 62 coaches earn at least $3 million
- 71 coaches earn at least $2 million
- 94 coaches earn at least $1 million
Universities are clearly betting big on their coaches. The stakes in college football just keep climbing.
Notable Mentions and Surprises
Deion Sanders at Colorado is making $8.975 million, which puts him at 14th on the list. Matt Rhule (Nebraska) and James Franklin (Penn State) are both at $8.5 million, tied for 15th.
And then there’s Bill Belichick at North Carolina. Yeah, that’s still a little hard to believe—he’s making $10.1 million in his new college gig.
Coaches Earning Between $7 Million and $9 Million
Plenty of coaches fall into that $7 million to $9 million window. Here are a few:
- Mario Cristobal, Miami: $8.302 million
- Curt Cignetti, Indiana: $8.3 million
- Bret Bielema, Illinois: $8.2 million
- Shane Beamer, South Carolina: $8.15 million
- Luke Fickell, Wisconsin: $7.825 million
- Jedd Fisch, Washington: $7.575 million
- Brent Venables, Oklahoma: $7.553 million
- Billy Napier, Florida: $7.47 million
- Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State: $7.442 million
Schools are clearly willing to spend big to chase wins. Sometimes you wonder where the ceiling really is.
Group of 5 Coaches
Jamey Chadwell at Liberty is the top earner among Group of 5 coaches, pulling in $5.937 million. Alex Golsesh and Jeff Traylor each make $2.5 million, while Jeff Monken at Army is at $2.4 million.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Group of 5 Coaches
Here’s how the top 10 Group of 5 coaches stack up:
- Jamey Chadwell, Liberty: $5.937 million
- Alex Golsesh, South Florida: $2.5 million
- Jeff Traylor, UTSA: $2.5 million
- Jeff Monken, Army: $2.4 million
- Ryan Silverfield, Memphis: $2.25 million
- Jim Mora, UConn: $2.169 million
- Spencer Danielson, Boise State: $2.001 million
- Trent Bray, Oregon State: $2 million
- Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State: $2 million
- Jay Norvell, Colorado State: $1.9 million
Group of 5 schools are stepping up, too. The gap is still there, but it’s shrinking just a bit.
Lowest-Paid FBS Coach
On the opposite end, Missouri State’s Ryan Beard is the lowest-paid full-time FBS head coach at $450,000 this season. That’s a huge gap from the top, and it really shows how wide the pay range is in college football.
The latest numbers on the highest-paid college football coaches of 2025 are honestly a bit staggering. It really shines a light on just how much money is swirling around the sport these days.
Some of these top coaches are pulling in multi-million dollar salaries. Universities seem more willing than ever to write those big checks if it means winning more games.
If you want to see who’s making what, here’s a detailed breakdown at Football Scoop. Honestly, it’s worth a look, even if just out of curiosity.
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