It pays well to be an elite college football head coach. 

While players are also now well-compensated in the NIL era, a strong program often starts and ends with the coach — which is why universities with strong financial muscle pay top-dollar to land the biggest-name coaches out there. 

A massive paycheck doesn’t always guarantee good results, but it’s certainly no coincidence that most of the highest-paid coaches have significant resumes. 

Here’s a full list of the 30 highest-paid head coaches in college football in 2025, with figures according to USA Today’s salary database.

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1. Kirby Smart, Georgia

Kirby Smart, who has led Georgia since 2016, was rewarded in 2024 with a new 10-year, $130 million contract that made him college football’s first-ever $13 million head coach on an annual basis. His deal runs through the 2033 season.

Alabama’s Nick Saban had been the highest-paid college football coach up until his retirement, a throne that Smart, a two-time national champion with the Bulldogs, has since taken. 

MORE: A breakdown of Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning and more being on Nick Saban’s 2015 staff

2. Ryan Day, Ohio State

• 2025 salary: $12,575,000

Fresh off a national championship in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, Ohio State gave Ryan Day a seven-year contract that was valued around $12.5 million annually. It also reportedly included various performance bonuses.

Day, who took over the Buckeyes’ program in 2018, has led the team to two Big Ten titles and a national championship.

MORE: Why did Julian Sayin transfer from Alabama to Ohio State?

3. Curt Cignetti, Indiana

• 2025 salary: $11,600,000

Curt Cignetti’s long coaching career, from Pitt in 1983 as a graduate assistant to the head coach at IUP, Elon and James Madison, took him to Indiana in November 2023. He’s been one of the most well-regarded coaches in the sport since.

Mid-way through his first season with the Hoosiers, Cignetti was extended on an eight-year contract. However, as his success continued during the 2025 season, Cignetti was reportedly given a new eight-year contract with an average annual compensation of approximately $11.6 million, per On3. The new deal keeps Cignetti at Indiana through Nov. 30, 2033.

MORE: Curt Cignetti’s full coaching timeline

4. Lincoln Riley, USC

• 2025 salary: $11,537,560

In 2022, the USC Trojans signed Lincoln Riley to a reported 10-year, $110 million contract. He joined the team fresh off a successful five-year run at Oklahoma.

One of the younger head coaches on this list, Riley formerly led the Sooners to four Big 12 titles and was also named the conference’s Coach of the Year in 2018.

MORE: Inside Lincoln Riley’s record since leaving Oklahoma

5. Dabo Sweeney, Clemson

• 2025 salary: $11,447,025

Dabo Sweeney has been around at Clemson for quite some time, taking over in 2008 and never letting his position go. His most recent extension was a reported deal worth $115 million that takes him through the 2031 season.

Sweeney has led the Tigers to two national titles and nine ACC titles, also owning three Paul “Bear” Bryant awards for Coach of the Year.

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6. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

• 2025 salary: $10,800,000

In 2021, Steve Sarkisian was named the 31st head coach in Texas football history, his first SEC head coaching job after previous roles at Washington and USC. In 2024, the Longhorns then gave Sarkisian an extension.

Under his current reported deal, Sarkisian’s annual salary went rom $10.4 million to $10.8 million, and it runs through the 2031 season. He’s led the Longhorns to one CFP appearance and one Big 12 title thus far.

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7. Dan Lanning, Oregon

• 2025 salary: $10,400,000

Oregon joining the Big Ten in 2024 has not slowed down Dan Lanning, who became the Ducks’ head coach in December 2021 on a reported six-year, $29.1 million contract. In March 2025, Lanning and Oregon reportedly agreed to a new deal that takes him through the 2030 season and pays him over $10 million per year.

The Ducks won the Big Ten title in 2024 under Lanning, also claiming a perfect 12-0 record in the regular season. 

MORE: Revisiting Dan Lanning’s playing career

8. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

• 2025 salary: $10,250,000

Filling some massive shoes at Alabama, Kalen DeBoer took over for Nick Saban in 2024. He reportedly inked an eight-year deal worth $87 million, and it includes bonuses for accolades like CFP appearances or Coach of the Year awards.

DeBoer is under contract with the Crimson Tide through 2031.

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9. Bill Belichick, North Carolina

• 2025 salary: $10,100,000

While Bill Belichick is most well-known for his NFL accomplishments, he surprisingly pivoted over to college football in 2025, aiming to lead North Carolina to success. The Tar Heels heavily invested in their head coach, signing him to a reported five-year, $50 million contract. Per AP, only the first three years are guaranteed with $10 million per year in base and supplemental salary, with another $3.5 million available in bonuses.

A six-time Super Bowl champion as a head coach, Belichick immediately became one of the highest-paid coaches in college football following his career change.

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10. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

After previous stints at Tennessee, USC and FAU, Lane Kiffin signed a deal with Ole Miss in 2019 that was worth $16.2 million over four years. However, he’s since signed an extension that gives him $9 million each year.

Kiffin has a deal with Ole Miss that runs through 2030, but technically has one-year extensions that automatically kick in due to Mississippi state laws that prevent state employee contracts exceeding four years. Every Dec. 8, Kiffin automatically has a one-year extension kick in as long as the Rebels win at least seven games excluding a bowl game. Per the Clarion Ledger, Kiffin’s contract “still automatically extends by a year as long as neither he nor the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation provides a written notice to the other party before Dec. 8 of that year that they do not wish to renew.”

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11. Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri

Eliah Drinkwitz has been at Missouri since 2020, when he left Arkansas State after one strong season. He then signed extensions with the Tigers in 2023 and 2025, and he’s now under contract through the 2029 season.

Drinkwitz is set to earn $9.25 million beginning in 2026, then $9.5 million in 2028, per USA Today, and he’s able to earn $1.3 million in maximum bonuses in 2025.

MORE: Why did Beau Pribula transfer from Penn State to Missouri?

12. Josh Heupel, Tennessee

Tennessee has had Josh Heupel on the headset since January 2021, and he was previously at UCF. Heupel is currently on a deal that takes him through January 2030.

An extension in 2023 pushed the coach’s annual salary to $9 million, while the latest extension takes him another year with the Vols. Tennessee made the first 12-team CFP under Heupel in 2024.

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13. Mark Stoops, Kentucky

Another of the longest-tenured coaches in college football, Mark Stoops has been at Kentucky since 2012. He’s signed various extensions over that time frame, most recently in 2022.

Stoops is currently under contract with the Wildcats through 2031, being paid $9 million every season.

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14. Deion Sanders, Colorado

“Coach Prime” made some noise by heading to Colorado in December 2022, and he’s enjoyed enough success with the Buffaloes to earn an extension. In 2025, he landed a five-year, $54 million contract extension that put him among the highest-paid coaches in the country.

Deion Sanders is scheduled to remain with the Buffaloes through the 2029 season.

MORE: Meet Colorado’s star-studded 2025 coaching staff

15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska

Matt Rhule joined the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2022. He signed a reported eight-year, $74-million contract to lead the program.

Rhule, the former coach at Temple and Baylor, only trails Day, Riley and Lanning among the highest-paid Big 10 coaches. He was recebtly given an extension, which puts his Nebraska contract through 2032.

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16. Mario Cristobal, Miami

In 2021, Mario Cristobal replaced Manny Diaz at Miami on a significant 10-year, $80 million deal.

The Hurricanes have steadily improved since he took over. Cristobal won two national championships with the Hurricanes as a player in 1989 and 1991.

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17. Bret Bielema, Illinois

Now coaching his third different college program, Bret Bielema most recently signed a six-year extension at Illinois in 2025. He’s booked with the Illini through 2031.

Bielema is also eligible for four one-year extensions if performance benchmarks are met, per ESPN, with retention incentives that would start at $700,000 and increase each year.

MORE: Bret Beliema’s full career timeline

18. Shane Beamer, South Carolina

Shane Beamer became South Carolina’s head coach in 2020, and he signed an extension with the Gamecocks in 2025. 

Now under contract at South Carolina through 2030, Beamer is set to earn $100,000 raises annually, according to ESPN. He was originally set to make $6.6 million in 2025 before his new deal.

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19. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Wisconsin hired Luke Fickell in 2022 after his run at Cincinnati. He has since received multiple one-year extensions since the seven-year deal he originally signed, which pays him an average of $7.8 million annually.

Currently, Fickell is under contract with the Badgers through the 2031 season.

20. Jedd Fisch, Washington

Jedd Fisch replaced Kalen DeBoer at Washington, taking a seven-year contract at around a reported $7.75 million annually.

Fisch went 6-7 in his first year with the Huskies, who also joined the Big Ten that 2024 season. He previously coached at UCLA and Arizona.

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21. Brent Venables, Oklahoma

Brett Venables’ lone head coaching job has come at Oklahoma, where he had already spent plenty of years as an assistant when he was named head coach in 2021. In 2024, the Sooners signed Venables to an extension. 

In that extension, Venables got a raise to over $8.5 million on an annual basis, per ESPN, with a total value of $51.6 million over six years. He’s booked in Norman through the 2029 season.

MORE: Why did Jackson Arnold transfer from Oklahoma to Auburn?

22. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

Kenny Dillingham has found early success at Arizona State, his first head coaching role. After joining the program as head coach in November 2022, Dillingham led the Sun Devils to a CFP appearance by the 2024 season after a 3-9 2023 campaign.

In January 2025, Dillingham then earned a contract extension that increased his salary from $4.1 million to $5.8 million, per ESPN, and it takes him through 2029. The contract also reportedly  includes one-year extensions and raises for reaching certain benchmarks, with up to a $450,000 increase for an 11-win season.

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23. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

When Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU, Marcus Freeman stepped in for the Fighting Irish, becoming the 32nd head coach in program history. 

Most recently, Freeman signed a reported extension that runs through the 2030 season and paid more than $9 million on an annual basis. 

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24. Jonathan Smith, Michigan State

In 2023, Michigan State inked Jonathan Smith a seven-year, $52.85 million contract that runs through 2031. 

According to Michigan State Spartans on SI, Smith’s contract includes a base pay of $6 million each year, with additional, supplement pay that began at $1,250,000 and increases by $100,000 each year until it tops out at $1,850,000.

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25. Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh

Pitt has had Pat Narduzzi at the helm of its football program since 2015, going on a decade with the head coach. He signed an extension in 2022 after an 11-win season for the Panthers.

Narduzzi’s extension runs through the 2030 season, and he now reportedly ranks among the highest-paid ACC coaches.

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26. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

Since 1999, Kirk Ferentz has been strolling Iowa’s sidelines. He’s scheduled to remain with the Hawkeyes into his 70s, as his contract runs through the 2029 season and into January 2030.

The 2025 season is Ferentz’s 27th as Iowa’s head coach, and in June 2025, he reportedly agreed to an amended deal that paid him around $175,000 more per year, with bonuses for a top-six Big Ten finish, making the Big Ten title game and more, per the Des Moines Register.

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27. Sonny Dykes, TCU

Another longtime head coach on this list, Sonny Dykes has been at TCU since November 2021. He most recently signed an extension through the 2028 season, which was agreed to in 2022.

Partially due to his successful debut 2022 season with the Horned Frogs, Dykes ranks among the highest-paid Big 12 coaches.

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28. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota

Wrapping up the top-30 highest-paid coaches is Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck, who makes a reported $7 million in 2025. In July 2025, the Gophers extended Fleck’s deal through the 2030 season.

Fleck has been at Minnesota since 2017, winning six total bowl games in that period.

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29. Mike Elko, Texas A&M

Mike Elko has been at the helm at Texas A&M since November 2023. He inked a reported six-year, $42 million deal. 

Elko is set to remain with the Aggies through January 2030.

30. Kyle Whittingham

• 2025 salary: $6,925,000 

Whittingham is one of the most stable and successful head coaches in the country, a longevity that is reflected in his long-term contract structure at Utah. Under the terms of his latest extension, Whittingham’s total compensation for the 2025 season is set at approximately $6.925 million. 

Whittingham has been at the helm of the Utah program since December 2004, and his commitment to the Utes is cemented by a contract that runs through the 2027 season. The five-year extension, initially signed in 2022 and later amended, ensured the school retained its iconic coach well into their transition to the Big 12 conference. The deal also includes unique clauses designed for his inevitable retirement, offering him a multi-year, high-salary agreement to serve as a special assistant to the athletic director, which will trigger upon his decision to step down from coaching.

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