10 Highest-Paid College Football Coaches in 2025

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10 Highest-Paid College Football Coaches in 2025

Corey Scott · Athlon Sports

Thu, Sep 4, 2025 ·

6 min read

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Top college football coaches aren't just winning on the field; they're cashing in off it with salaries that rival those of some professional athletes.

The highest-paid college football coaches command nine-figure contracts that can include incentives that can push total compensation even higher. These salaries reflect not just on-field accomplishments, but also factors such as media exposure, recruitment influence and the ability to generate revenue through ticket sales and TV deals.

While some coaches' salaries are easy to verify, the listed value of others may vary slightly depending on how the reporting source is defining base contract value, total value or potential total value. The top earners, along with the achievements and factors that justify their impressive paychecks:

No. 10: Brian Kelly, LSU

Salary: $9.9 million
Contract details:Signed a 10-year, $95 million deal in November 2021; entitled to 90% of remaining base salary and supplemental compensation if fired without cause
Past performances:Won at least nine games in each of his first three seasons at LSU; two-time AP College Football Coach of the Year (2012, 2018)
Why he's here: Brian Kelly was the flashy hire LSU craved after announcing Ed Orgeron's departure. Kelly had guided Notre Dame to two College Football Playoff berths (2018, 2020), and LSU was under pressure to keep pace with SEC West powers like Alabama and Ole Miss.

T-No. 8: Bill Belichick, North Carolina

Salary: $10 million
Contract details:Three-year guaranteed agreement; includes a $1.75 million bonus for winning a national championship
Past performances:Six-time Super Bowl champion as the coach; two as an assistant coach, three-time NFL Coach of the Year
Why he's here: Bill Belichick is widely regarded as the greatest NFL coach of all time, and his move to college football brought immediate national attention to UNC. The six-time Super Bowl champ brought his reputation as a defensive mastermind to Chapel Hill, drastically elevating the program's profile, with celebrities such as Michael Jordan and Lawrence Taylor attending his debut game.

T-No. 8: Deion Sanders, Colorado

Salary: $10 million
Contract details:Signed a five-year, $54 million extension in March 2025; he is required to pay Colorado a scaled payment if he accepts another coaching position before the contract expires. If he leaves this year, that penalty is $12 million. By 2029, that penalty is down to $3 million.
Past performances:Turned Colorado around from a 1-11 record in 2022 to 4-8 in his first season and 9-4 in his second
Why he's here: Deion Sanders ' high-profile presence has brought national attention to Colorado football . In 2024, the Buffaloes became one of the top 10 most-watched programs. Coach Prime's star power has also helped bring in top recruits and drive year-over-year wins.

No. 7: Lincoln Riley, USC

Salary: $10.2 million
Contract details:Signed a 10-year, $110 million deal in November 2021
Past performances:Led Oklahoma to four Big 12 championships in five seasons and guided USC to an 11-3 record in 2022, falling to Utah in the Pac-12 championship game
Why he's here: Lincoln Riley has mentored three Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks: Baker Mayfield (2017), Kyler Murray (2018) and Caleb Williams (2022). Before joining USC, he enjoyed proven success at Oklahoma, leading the Sooners to three CFP appearances and earning Big 12 Coach of the Year honors in 2018.

No. 6: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

Salary: $10.25 million
Contract details:Signed an eight-year, $87 million deal; if fired without cause, he would receive 90% of his remaining salary in monthly installments through the end of the contract
Past performances:Led Washington to the 2023 national championship game (falling to Michigan) and won three NAIA championships with the University of Sioux Falls (2006, 2008 and 2009)
Why he's here: Kalen DeBoer led Washington to a 12-0 regular season in 2023 and an appearance in the national championship game. Just days after losing to Michigan, the 2023 AP Coach of the Year agreed to take over at Alabama following Nick Saban 's retirement.

No. 5: Steve Sarkisian, Texas

Salary: $10.8 million
Contract details:On a seven-year contract, with a raise and extension approved in February 2025
Past performances:Only coach to make the College Football Playoff in both 2023 and 2024
Why he's here:Under Steve Sarkisian , Texas has experienced a resurgence, emerging as one of the nation's top programs in both TV viewership and on-field performance. He guided the Longhorns to back-to-back playoff semifinal appearances in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

No. 4: Dan Lanning, Oregon

Salary: close to $11 million
Contract details:On a six-year deal that will run through the 2030 season; his buyout to leave is $20 million
Past performances:Earned No. 1 seed in 2024 playoffs, but lost in quarterfinals to eventual champion Ohio State
Why he's here: Dan Lanning went 35-6 in his first three seasons at Oregon, highlighted by a a Big Ten championship in 2024. Though still relatively new to head coaching compared to others this high on the list, he brings championship pedigree from Georgia, where he helped win a national title as defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach in the 2021 season.

No. 3: Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Salary: $11.3 million
Contract details:Signed 10-year deal worth $115 million in September 2022
Past performances:Two national championships and nine ACC titles
Why he's here: Dabo Swinney has guided Clemson to dominance in the ACC, capturing nine conference titles since 2011. He led the team to two national championships in a three-year span with Deshaun Watson at quarterback for the 2016 national title and Trevor Lawrence in the 2018 title run.

No. 2: Ryan Day, Ohio State

Salary: $12.5 million
Contract details:On a seven-year deal through the 2031 season; he would receive $11.5 million per year remaining if bought out
Past performances:Won 2024 national championship
Why he's here:Despite Ohio State entering the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, Ryan Day led the Buckeyes to a national title in the 2024 season. More importantly, the title made up for the Buckeyes losing to rival Michigan in the regular season's final week. After going 70–10 in his first six seasons at Ohio State and winning a national championship, it's no surprise Day is near the top of this list.

No. 1: Kirby Smart, Georgia

Salary: $13 million
Contract details:A 10-year, $130 million deal that runs through the 2033 season
Past performances:Two national championships as the coach at Georgia; four as an assistant at Alabama
Why he's here:Since taking over ahead of the 2016 season, Kirby Smart has created a perennial powerhouse in Athens. Georgia won back-to-back national championships in the 2021 and 2022 seasons -- the program's first titles since 1980. The 2022 season was especially dominant: Georgia finished 15-0 and routed TCU 65-7 in the national championship game.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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