While a highly-paid head coach is usually indicative of a college football program's success, that's not always the case.
Some of the most high-profile firings of the 2025 season were also some of the most well-compensated coaches in the sport. James Franklin, Jonathan Smith and Billy Napier were expensive firings, all ranking among the largest coaching buyouts of all-time.
However, it’s also no coincidence that the four coaches to lead their teams to the 2026 College Football Playoff semifinals each reportedly earn a significant amount of money. Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, who will face off in the Peach Bowl, are both among the top-10 highest-paid college football coaches.
Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal doesn’t quite crack the top 10, making around $8.3 million this season, according to USA Today’s database. The situation is a bit different for Ole Miss Rebels coach Pete Golding — after taking over for Lane Kiffin right before the CFP, he will reportedly be making $6.8 million for his first season, which projects to fall around No. 35 for all college coaches.
Here's a look at the top-10 highest-paid college football coaches.
MORE 2026 CFP NEWS:
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- Predictions for Ole Miss vs. Miami CFP semifinal
Highest-paid college football coaches
Most salaries and rankings are according to USA Today's salary database.
No. 1: Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Salary: $13.28 million
It pays to be a national champion, and Kirby Smart has done it twice. The Georgia head coach's 2024 extension made him college football's first $13 million head coach.
Smart took the throne as the sport's highest-earning coach after Nick Saban retired.
No. 2: Lane Kiffin, LSU
- Salary: $13 million
One of the newest coaching contract in college football was also one of the largest. When LSU pried Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss, it came with a hefty price.
Kiffin signed a seven-year deal with the Tigers worth $13 million annually, immediately becoming the second-highest-paid coach in the sport.
No. 3: Ryan Day, Ohio State
- Salary: $12.58 million
Right after he won a national championship in 2025, Ohio State gave Ryan Day a new extension that made him one of the highest-paid coaches out there.
The Buckeyes coach signed a seven-year deal worth just around $12.6 million annually.
No. 4: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
- Salary: $11.6 million
Curt Cignetti has completely revitalized Indiana football, so much so that the Hoosiers have become title contenders and an annual playoff threat. For those reasons, Indiana has inked Cignetti to multiple extensions.
Most recently, just as the 2025 coaching market was taking shape, Cignetti was reportedly given a new eight-year contract with an average annual compensation of approximately $11.6 million, per On3. However, with Indiana making the CFP semifinals, Front Office Sports also report ed that Indiana is required to give its coach a "good faith market review" of his contract and must make him a top-three coach in the country, or Cignetti could leave without a buyout.
SN AWARDS: 2025 All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
No. 5: Lincoln Riley, USC
- Salary: $11.54 million
USC grabbed Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma in 2022, making him one of the top earners in college football after his years of success with the Sooners.
Riley landed a reported 10-year deal worth $110 million, giving him around $11.5 million annually.
No. 6: Mike Elko, Texas A&M
- Salary: $11.5 million
Texas A&M had an outstanding 2025 season despite an early CFP exit. Because of that, the Aggies gave Mike Elko a six-year extension toward the end of the season.
According to Billy Liucci of TexAgs.com, Elko's extension carries an average salary of $11.5 million per year.
No. 7: Dabo Sweeney, Clemson
- Salary: $11.45 million
One of the longest-tenured coaches on this list, Dabo Sweeney continues to pursue titles at Clemson.
Sweeney's most recent extension was a reported deal worth $115 million that takes him through the 2031 season.
MORE: Winners and losers from 2025 bowl game season
No. 8: Steve Sarkisian, Texas
- Salary: $10.8 million
Consistently viewed as an up-and-coming offensive savant, Steve Sarkisian has found success at Texas after previous roles at Washington and USC.
In 2024, Sarkisian signed an extension that bumped his annual salary from $10.4 million to $10.8 million.
No. 9: Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
- Salary: $10.75 million
Eli Drinkwitz has signed multiple extensions with Missouri since landing with the Tigers in 2020. With ongoing rumors he'd head elsewhere in 2025, he re-upped with his current team.
Drinkwitz's annual salary moved up to $10.75 million with his 2025 extension, making him a top-10 coach in college football from a financial standpoint.
MORE: What would Dan Lanning change about the College Football Playoff?
No. 10: Dan Lanning, Oregon
- Salary: $10.4 million
Dan Lanning has made Oregon into an elite Big Ten team, which is why he's among the top-10 highest-paid coaches.
In 2025, Lanning and Oregon reportedly agreed to a deal that takes him through the 2030 season and pays him north of $10 million per year. Outside of Lanning, Kalen DeBoer (Alabama) and Bill Belichick (UNC) are the only other coaches to reportedly make at least $10 million this season.