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
- 2025 salary: $13,282,580
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.
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3. 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
4. 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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5. 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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6. 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.
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7. 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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8. Brian Kelly, LSU
- 2025 salary: $10,175,000
One of the most accomplished coaches in the country, Brian Kelly joined LSU in November 2021 after his time at Notre Dame. He signed a reported 10-year, $95 million deal with the Tigers.
Kelly's deal at LSU reportedly more than tripled his previous salary at Notre Dame from $2.67 million annually to over $9 million in his first year with the Tigers.
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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
- 2025 salary: $9,000,000
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
- 2025 salary: $9,000,000
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.
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12. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
- 2025 salary: $9,000,000
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
- 2025 salary: $9,000,000
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
- 2025 salary: $8,975,000
"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.
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15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska
© Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
- 2025 salary: $8,500,000
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.
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16. Mario Cristobal, Miami
- 2025 salary: $8,302,883
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. Curt Cignetti, Indiana
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- 2025 salary: $8,300,000
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, an eight-year contract that runs through the 2032 season and pays him around $8 million annually.
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18. Bret Bielema, Illinois
© Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
- 2025 salary: $8,200,000
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.
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19. Shane Beamer, South Carolina
- 2025 salary: $8,150,000
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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20. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
- 2025 salary: $7,825,000
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.
21. Jedd Fisch, Washington
© Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
- 2025 salary: $7,575,024
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.
22. Brent Venables, Oklahoma
- 2025 salary: $7,552,750
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.
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23. Billy Napier, Florida
- 2025 salary: $7,470,000
Billy Napier was named the 28th head football coach at Florida in November 2021. While the Gators have continued their attempt to get back in the national spotlight, Napier landed a reported seven-year, $51.8 million deal with the school.
Napier has not signed any extensions with Florida, with the original deal scheduled through January 2029.
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24. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
- 2025 salary: $7,442,000
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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25. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
- 2025 salary: $7,421,201
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.
26. Jonathan Smith, Michigan State
© Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
- 2025 salary: $7,350,000
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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27. Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
- 2025 salary: $7,259,909
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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28. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
© Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
- 2025 salary: $7,175,000
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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29. Sonny Dykes, TCU
- 2025 salary: $7,036,013
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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30. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
- 2025 salary: $7,000,000
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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