Top 25 highest paid college coaches and their salaries 2021
Every country on earth plays a sport. And with the expansion of sport around the world, soccer or football remains the most popular sport. Experienced coaches train top-quality players. It pays to coach one of the most prominent schools and especially in the NCAA. The highest paid college coaches put their effort and time into producing quality players, and their efforts are rewarded handsomely.
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Who is the highest-paid coach in the world? You may not know this, but Diego Simeone from Atletico Madrid has the highest salary. He is a professional coach and is paid $50 million annually.
There is a clear difference between professional and college football, which translates to how much salary coaches receive. NCAA coach salaries may differ for coaches, but some coaches earn more than experienced managers.
Top 25 highest paid college coaches and their salaries
Are you curious to know who the highest-paid college football coach in 2021 is? Keep reading this article and get the answer.
25. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
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Whittingham has been in Utah for over 17 years, winning more than nine games. He has done an excellent job and despite having a tough and strange season in 2020. His salary is $4.63 million.
24. Kirk Ferentz, Lowa
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With a salary of $4.67 million, Ferentz has been one of the longest-serving coaches in college football history. His hard work and dedication at Lowa have brought results because he has only failed once to win a minimum of eight games in a year. As a result, all eyes are on him as he might get the opportunity to coach Big Ten in 2021.
23. Rick Barnes, Tennessee Basketball
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Barnes is a basketball coach who earns $4.7 million. He has a career record at Tennessee of 123:73 and has participated in the NCAA tournament seventeen times. He has entered the list of the highest-paid college coaches in basketball.
22. David Shaw, Stanford
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Ten years at Stanford is not a short time. Shaw has a record of winning not less than eight games for eight consecutive years. And for the double-digit games, he has won them five times. Unfortunately, 2019 and 2020 were not a good season for this coach, recording 4-8 and 4-2, respectively. Despite that, he is still one of the highest-paid college coaches, with a salary of $4.81 million.
21. Scott Frost, Nebraska
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Nebraska pays Frost $4.83 million to coach the Huskers. He led UCF successfully before moving to Nebraska. Frost might prove to revive the Huskers into at least winning a record. He is a man to watch in 2021.
20. Mike Leach, Mississippi State
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Leach has an impressive record and legacy both in Texas Tech and Washington State. He set a record of 84-43 and 55-47, respectively, leaving a legacy for himself. His new coaching assignment has been challenging as he recorded 4-7 in his first year. The beginning might have been tough, but Leach still has the opportunity to turn things around. He remains to be a top paid football college coach with an attractive salary of $5.0 million.
19. Mark Stoops, Kentucky
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Stoops has been progressing in this coaching career at Kentucky. The coach who earns a salary of $5.01 million changed the story at Kentucky in 2018 and 2019. He won in both seasons before the 2020 distraction came in. Covid-19 disrupted the schedules, but the Wildcats are coming back.
18. Mel Tucker, Michigan State
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Michigan State is paying Tucker a salary of $5.05 million. Before moving to Michigan State, Tucker was the head coach of Colorado, and he recorded 5-7 in his one year as coach. It is quite uncertain how he will perform, bearing in mind he barely has one year in Michigan state. But time is always the best test. So let's give him time!
17. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
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Fitzgerald has an outstanding record, and anyone would say he is worth the bucks. Northwestern pays him $5.2 million, and he has proven to be in for the job. In the short season of 2020, Northwestern won 7-2, and they also played for the Big Ten Championship. That tells you Fitzgerald is no joke. He has more than 15 years of coaching experience.
16. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
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Sarkisian came to the Taxes when Tom Herman was fired as the head coach of the Longhorns. With a good record in his last two years before taking over Taxes, Sarkisian seems to match his salary of $5.2 million.
15. James Franklin, Penn State
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Franklin receives a basic salary of $5.5 million. The Penn State University head coach has had experience working with various colleges such as Vanderbilt, Maryland, Green Bay Packers, Washington State, and Kansas. Franklin led Penn in 2016 during their second Big Ten and Ten East.
14. Mick Cronin, UCLA basketball
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Cronin is one of the highest-paid college coaches in basketball. He receives a total pay of $5.5 million, and he has had an impressive record at Cincinnati. Cronin has another record of having the most NCAA Division I wins of 365. In addition, he made NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 13 seasons he was the coach. He is the right person to lead UCLA basketball.
13. Ryan Day, Ohio State
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Day has led Ohio State to the National Championship game in 2020. He has a good record for the short time he has been in Ohio State, making him appear to have stayed more than two seasons. Ohio State pays Day $5.6 million, and this money is worth the work Day has done and even more.
12. Gary Patterson, TCU
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Patterson has produced top-quality NFL players for the 11 seasons he led TCU. He won more than ten games during the season. The money TCU pays Patterson, amounting to $6.1 million, reflects the hard work and success he has achieved so far. It looks like Patterson is here to stay to achieve more.
11. Dan Mullen, Florida
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Mullen took over Florida in 2018 after leading Mississippi State for nine years. In 2020, Mullen took the Gators to the SEC Championship and won the title against Alabama.
He has successfully made it to three bowl games, plus the Orange Bowl win and Cotton Bowl appearance. Mullen receives a salary of $6.1 million.
10. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
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Riley has a good track record, and he is one of the highest-paid college coaches. He has won the Big 12 Championship in all the seasons he has been with the Sooners. He has a record of 45-8 for the fours he has been in Oklahoma. No wonder he is paid well, amounting to $6.2 million.
9. Kirby Smart, Georgia
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Keep reading because you’re about to know who is the highest-paid college football coach in 2021. He is paid $6.9 million.
Smart has a 52-14 in the five years he has been a coach in Georgia. He has also led Georgia to win the SEC Championship. Smart will continue to give Georgia value for their money.
8. Gus Malzahn, Auburn
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Malzahn is paid a total of $7 million. He replaced Josh Heupel, who set a good record by not losing any game in the nine seasons at Auburn. Malzahn brought new energy and set his record of 68-35, and led the Tigers to the BCS Championship game in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
7. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Basketball
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Many know Krzyzewski as coach K. He is one of the highest-paid coaches in basketball, receiving a gross pay of $7.2 million. He has been at Duke since 1980 and has won 5 national Championships plus 12 Final Fours. Coach K has made history; has won over one thousand games, making him the winningest coach in Division I in men's basketball. He is soon going to retire, having left a legacy at Duke.
6. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M Football
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Fisher is paid $7.5 million, and throughout his tenure at Texas A&M, his record is 26-10. However, in 2020, they only lost one game, and they are yet to win a Championship if they put in more effort under his leadership.
5. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Football
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Harbaugh has a good record for the six years he has been in Michigan. His record reads 49-22, and he has made five bowl games plus the three seasons of the ten wins. So Michigan football fans can afford a smile because of the track record of Harbaugh, who is paid $8 million.
4. John Calipari, Kentucky Basketball
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Calipari’s record and commitment at Kentucky are excellent. Before signing a lifetime contract with Kentucky in 2019, Calipari led Memphis and Massachusetts to Final Fours in 1996 and 2009. He also led Kentucky to the 2012 Championships and 4 Final Fours. No wonder he is one of the highest-paid college football coaches.
He receives $8.1 million every season. Calipari was also the first coach who started the popular philosophy that said, “one and done”, allow seasoned players to join the NBA after only one season. As if that is not enough, Calipari has produced 25 players in the NBA from 2002 to 2018.
3. Dabo Swinney - Clemson Football
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Dabo has been Clemson's head coach for 13 seasons, and his record is 140-33. Swinney has also won 2 Championships. He would have been the man to talk about if it were not for Saban. Swinney is paid a total of $8.2 million.
2. Ed Orgeron, LSU Football
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Orgeron led the LSU team to win the College Football Playoff after recording 15-0 results. Though in 2020 they dropped the record to 5-5, the Tigers fans still love Orgeron, and they believe they can spring back. He is paid a total of $8.7 million.
1. Nick Saban, Alabama Football
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If you ask Alabama fans, “which coach has the highest salary?” they would easily tell you it is Saban. Perhaps they would argue based on his track record. Alabama has won six National Championships, and he has been 170-23 for the fourteen years at Alabama. How much would you pay such a successful coach? Maybe whatever he would ask for!. Saban is paid a total of $9.1 million.
The highest paid college coaches work hard for their money by winning football or basketball games. However, winning a game every season consecutively is not easy. One season the head coach is celebrating but in another bad season in the hot seat. In addition, college coach salaries keep on changing depending on the performance.
READ ALSO: Here are the 10 highest paid celebrities in South Africa
Briefly.co.za shared an article on the top 10 highest paid celebrities in South Africa. The list of the highest paid celebrities in South Africa is dominated by actors and media personalities who are between twenty and fifty years old. Some of these celebrities have changed careers to focus on their talents.
The highest-paid celebrities in South Africa understood that they need to make sacrifices to find happiness. Fame does not make one wealthy but how the person uses the popularity. These stars are role models to the uprising celebrities.
Source: Briefly News
