Updated September 5, 2026. Figures are annual pay from signed contracts and public records requests where a new 2026 deal exists; otherwise the most recent USA Today salary database figure. Private schools do not have to disclose and are listed separately.
Fourteen head coaches now make $10 million or more a year, up from nine a season ago, and the top of the list turned over completely in one offseason. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti went from 18th to first after a 16 and 0 national title, Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU put him level with Kirby Smart, and a record 33 FBS coaching changes reset salaries at Penn State, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State and Virginia Tech. Every coach with a public figure is ranked below.
| Highest paid | Curt Cignetti, Indiana, $13.2 million |
| Biggest new contract | Lane Kiffin, LSU, seven years at $13 million |
| Biggest buyout | Kirby Smart, Georgia, over $100 million |
| Highest paid Group of Five coach | Jamey Chadwell, Liberty, $5.9 million |
| Lowest paid Power Four coach with a public figure | Rhett Lashlee, SMU, about $2.5 million (last tax filing) |
The $10 Million Club
| Rank | Coach | School | Annual pay | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curt Cignetti | Indiana | $13.2M | Eight year extension through 2033 after the 16 and 0 title |
| 2 | Kirby Smart | Georgia | $13.0M | $13.28M total pay in the 2025 database; deal runs through 2033 |
| 2 | Lane Kiffin | LSU | $13.0M | Seven year deal signed Nov. 2025; $9M at Ole Miss last year |
| 4 | Ryan Day | Ohio State | $12.6M | Seven year, $87.5M deal through 2031 |
| 5 | Lincoln Riley | USC | $11.5M | Private school figure from tax filings |
| 6 | Dabo Swinney | Clemson | $11.45M | Contract through 2031; $60M buyout |
| 7 | Dan Lanning | Oregon | $11.0M | Restructured deal through 2030 |
| 8 | Steve Sarkisian | Texas | $10.8M | Second extension in two years |
| 8 | Deion Sanders | Colorado | $10.8M | $54M extension; rises to $12M by 2029 |
| 8 | Kalen DeBoer | Alabama | $10.8M | Escalates yearly to $11.75M by 2031 |
| 11 | Mike Elko | Texas A&M | $10.75M | Six year, $69M extension; was $7M in 2025 |
| 11 | Eli Drinkwitz | Missouri | $10.75M | New deal Nov. 2025; was $9M |
| 13 | Brent Venables | Oklahoma | $10.5M | Reported six year, $63M extension; was $7.55M |
| 14 | Bill Belichick | North Carolina | $10.1M | Five year, $50M deal; guaranteed through 2027 |
$7 Million to $10 Million
| Rank | Coach | School | Annual pay | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Matt Campbell | Penn State | $9.8M | New hire from Iowa State, where he made about $4M |
| 16 | Josh Heupel | Tennessee | $9.0M | |
| 17 | Matt Rhule | Nebraska | $8.5M | Nearly $50M buyout |
| 18 | James Franklin | Virginia Tech | $8.35M | Five year, $41.75M deal after Penn State fired him |
| 19 | Mario Cristobal | Miami | $8.3M | Private school, tax filing figure |
| 20 | Bret Bielema | Illinois | $8.2M | |
| 20 | Kyle Whittingham | Michigan | $8.2M | New hire after 21 years at Utah, where he made $6.5M |
| 22 | Shane Beamer | South Carolina | $8.15M | |
| 23 | Luke Fickell | Wisconsin | $7.83M | |
| 24 | Jedd Fisch | Washington | $7.58M | |
| 25 | Lance Leipold | Kansas | $7.5M | Latest public figure |
| 26 | Jon Sumrall | Florida | $7.45M | Six year, $44.7M deal from Tulane, where he made $3M |
| 27 | Kenny Dillingham | Arizona State | $7.44M | Nearly doubled after the 2024 Big 12 title |
| 28 | Alex Golesh | Auburn | $7.4M | Six year, $44.4M deal from South Florida |
| 29 | Pat Narduzzi | Pitt | $7.26M | |
| 30 | Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | $7.18M | Longest tenured coach in the FBS |
| 31 | P.J. Fleck | Minnesota | $7.0M |
$4 Million to $7 Million
| Rank | Coach | School | Annual pay | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Ryan Silverfield | Arkansas | $6.7M | Five year, $33.5M deal from Memphis |
| 33 | Greg Schiano | Rutgers | $6.5M | |
| 34 | Dave Doeren | NC State | $6.22M | |
| 35 | Mike Locksley | Maryland | $6.1M | |
| 36 | Barry Odom | Purdue | $6.05M | |
| 37 | Jeff Brohm | Louisville | $5.98M | |
| 38 | Jamey Chadwell | Liberty | $5.9M | Highest paid Group of Five coach by a wide margin |
| 39 | Mike Norvell | Florida State | $5.65M | Deferred structure; buyout near $59M |
| 40 | Will Stein | Kentucky | $5.5M | Five year, $28.5M deal; first time head coach |
| 41 | Pat Fitzgerald | Michigan State | $5.0M | Five year, $30M deal; rises $500K a year |
| 41 | Sonny Dykes | TCU | $5.0M | Private school, tax filing figure |
| 43 | Jake Dickert | Wake Forest | $4.8M | |
| 44 | Dave Aranda | Baylor | $4.54M | Latest public figure |
| 45 | Brent Key | Georgia Tech | $4.5M | Up from $2.9M two years ago |
| 45 | Willie Fritz | Houston | $4.5M | Latest public figure |
| 47 | Tony Elliott | Virginia | $4.41M | |
| 48 | Jeff Lebby | Mississippi State | $4.35M | Lowest paid SEC coach at a public school |
| 49 | Joey McGuire | Texas Tech | $4.25M | Latest public figure, before the 2025 Big 12 title and CFP run |
Under $4 Million
| Rank | Coach | School | Annual pay | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Clark Lea | Vanderbilt | $3.71M | Private school, tax filing figure; new deal reported since |
| 51 | Scott Satterfield | Cincinnati | $3.6M | Latest public figure |
| 52 | Dan Mullen | UNLV | $3.5M | Highest paid coach in the Mountain West |
| 53 | Brent Brennan | Arizona | $3.1M | Lowest paid Big 12 coach with a public figure |
| 54 | Jeff Traylor | UTSA | $2.5M | |
| 55 | Rhett Lashlee | SMU | $2.47M | Private school; last tax filing, almost certainly higher now |
| 56 | Jeff Monken | Army | $2.4M | |
| 57 | Spencer Danielson | Boise State | $2.0M | A playoff coach at one fifth of Big Ten money |
Not Public or Not Yet Released
Private schools with reported estimates: Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame, believed to be above $10 million after his latest extension; Kalani Sitake, BYU, reported near $9 million on his new deal. Neither school discloses.
Private schools with no reliable figure: Fran Brown (Syracuse), Manny Diaz (Duke), Bill O’Brien (Boston College), Tavita Pritchard (Stanford), David Braun (Northwestern).
2026 hires whose contracts have not surfaced in a public records release yet: Pete Golding (Ole Miss), Bob Chesney (UCLA), Tosh Lupoi (Cal), JaMarcus Shephard (Oregon State), Morgan Scalley (Utah), Collin Klein (Kansas State), Jimmy Rogers (Iowa State), Eric Morris (Oklahoma State), Jason Candle (UConn). Most first time Power Four hires this cycle landed between $4 million and $6 million, which is where these should fall when the paperwork is released. We will slot them in as figures are confirmed.
What Stands Out
The market moved about $2 million in one year. In 2025 the tenth highest salary was $9 million; in 2026 it is $10.8 million, and a coach at $9 million (Josh Heupel) now sits 16th. Winning still pays fastest: Cignetti went from $8.3 million to $13.2 million, Elko from $7 million to $10.75 million and Drinkwitz from $9 million to $10.75 million, all in a single offseason.
The other direction is expensive too. Kentucky is paying Mark Stoops $37.7 million through 2031 while Will Stein makes $5.5 million, Michigan State owes Jonathan Smith roughly $33.5 million and Penn State is on the hook for James Franklin’s buyout while paying Matt Campbell $9.8 million. In several cases the school’s departed coach costs more per year than the one on the sideline.
Group of Five money has a hard ceiling. Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell at $5.9 million makes more than 18 Power Four coaches, but the next Group of Five figure is $3.5 million and most of the tier sits between $1 million and $2.5 million, which is why Sumrall (Tulane to Florida), Golesh (South Florida to Auburn) and Silverfield (Memphis to Arkansas) each more than doubled their pay by leaving.
The Bottom Line
Curt Cignetti is the highest paid coach in college football at $13.2 million, Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin are next at $13 million, and 14 coaches now clear $10 million. Public school salaries come from contracts and USA Today’s database; private schools report only through tax filings, which lag a year or more. For what the players make, see our NIL earnings guide, and for the programs that have justified the spending, most national championships by school and the winningest programs of all time.