Day after USA TODAY reports Ohio U coach was working without a contract, one appears
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Day after USA TODAY reports Ohio U coach was working without a contract, one appears
Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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3 min read
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Ohio University footballcoach Brian Smith, who had been essentially working without contract since his promotion to the head job in December, now has a formal, fully executed agreement with the school.
The contract — which all parties signed in the past 24 hours, per university spokesperson Daniel Pittman — shows Smith will make $850,000 from Ohio this season, including a $50,000 retention payment he would receive if he remains theBobcats' coach on Dec. 31, 2025, the final day of the parties' contract year.
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
(Alan Poizner, Imagn Images)
Ryan Day, Ohio State, $12,575,000
(Adam Cairns, Columbus Dispatchvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
Lincoln Riley, Southern California, $11,537,560
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $11,382,775
(Ken Ruinard, GREENVILLE NEWS via USA TODAY Network)
Steve Sarkisian,Texas, $10,800,000
(Scott Wachter, Imagn Images)
Dan Lanning, Oregon, $10,400,00
(Ben Lonergan, The Register-Guard via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama, $10,250,000
(Melina Myers, Imagn Images)
Brian Kelly, LSU, $10,175,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
Bill Belichick, North Carolina, $10,100,000
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
T10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee, $9,000,000
(Brianna Paciorka, News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
T10. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri, $9,000,000
(Denny Medley, Imagn Images)
T10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky, $9,000,000
(Matt Stone, Courier Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
T10. Lane Kiffin, Mississippi, $9,000,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
Deion Sanders, Colorado, $8,975,000
(Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images)
T15. James Franklin, Penn State, $8,500,000
(James Lang, Imagn Images)
T15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska, $8,500,00
(Dylan Widger, Imagn Images)
Mario Cristobal, Miami, $8,302,883
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
Curt Cignetti, Indiana, $8,300,000
(Rich Janzaruk, Herald-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Bret Bielema, Illinois, $8,200,000
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
Shane Beamer, South Carolina, $8,150,000
(Jeff Blake, Imagn Images)
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin, $7,825,000
(Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Jedd Fisch, Washington, $7,575,024
(Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images)
Brent Venables, Oklahoma, $7,552,000
(BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Billy Napier, Florida, $7,470,000
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State, $7,442,000
(Patrick Breen, The Republicvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame, $7,421,201
(Michael Caterina, Imagn Images)
Jonathan Smith, Michigan State, $7,350,000
(Nick King, Lansing State Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, $7,259,909
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $7,175,000
(Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images)
Sonny Dykes, TCU, $7,036,013
(Patrick Breen, The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK)
T31. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota, $7,000,000
(Matt Krohn, Imagn Images)
T31. Mike Elko, Texas A&M, $7,000,000
(Maria Lysaker, Imagn Images)
1/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
(Alan Poizner, Imagn Images)
1/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
(Alan Poizner, Imagn Images)
2/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Ryan Day, Ohio State, $12,575,000
(Adam Cairns, Columbus Dispatchvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
3/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Lincoln Riley, Southern California, $11,537,560
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
4/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $11,382,775
(Ken Ruinard, GREENVILLE NEWS via USA TODAY Network)
5/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Steve Sarkisian,Texas, $10,800,000
(Scott Wachter, Imagn Images)
6/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Dan Lanning, Oregon, $10,400,00
(Ben Lonergan, The Register-Guard via USA TODAY NETWORK)
7/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama, $10,250,000
(Melina Myers, Imagn Images)
8/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Brian Kelly, LSU, $10,175,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
9/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Bill Belichick, North Carolina, $10,100,000
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
10/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee, $9,000,000
(Brianna Paciorka, News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
11/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri, $9,000,000
(Denny Medley, Imagn Images)
12/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky, $9,000,000
(Matt Stone, Courier Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
13/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Lane Kiffin, Mississippi, $9,000,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
14/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Deion Sanders, Colorado, $8,975,000
(Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images)
15/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T15. James Franklin, Penn State, $8,500,000
(James Lang, Imagn Images)
16/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska, $8,500,00
(Dylan Widger, Imagn Images)
17/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Mario Cristobal, Miami, $8,302,883
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
18/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Curt Cignetti, Indiana, $8,300,000
(Rich Janzaruk, Herald-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
19/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Bret Bielema, Illinois, $8,200,000
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
20/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Shane Beamer, South Carolina, $8,150,000
(Jeff Blake, Imagn Images)
21/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin, $7,825,000
(Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
22/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Jedd Fisch, Washington, $7,575,024
(Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images)
23/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Brent Venables, Oklahoma, $7,552,000
(BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)
24/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Billy Napier, Florida, $7,470,000
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
25/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State, $7,442,000
(Patrick Breen, The Republicvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
26/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame, $7,421,201
(Michael Caterina, Imagn Images)
27/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Jonathan Smith, Michigan State, $7,350,000
(Nick King, Lansing State Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
28/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, $7,259,909
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
29/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $7,175,000
(Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images)
30/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Sonny Dykes, TCU, $7,036,013
(Patrick Breen, The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK)
31/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T31. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota, $7,000,000
(Matt Krohn, Imagn Images)
32/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T31. Mike Elko, Texas A&M, $7,000,000
(Maria Lysaker, Imagn Images)
His base salary is $615,000, although he "may receive an annual increase … in accordance with University raise pool guidelines." He is getting $135,000 in "supplemental compensation," as consideration for "increased duties, including, but not limited to, external promotion, marketing, development, and communications". He also can annually receive a $50,000 retention payment for being the school's head coach as of June 30.
Smith began the season with the possibility of getting a maximum of $660,750 in performance-incentive bonuses, according to the contract. He already has secured a $15,000 bonus, as he can get that amount if the team wins a regular season game against a Power Four conference opponent. The Bobcats defeated West Virginia, 17-10, on Sept. 6 in Athens, Ohio. They also lost at Rutgers, 34-31, and lost at Ohio State, 37-9.
According to documents and correspondence USA TODAY Sports previously had received from the school, Smith's compensation was to have an average annual value of $850,000 per year from Dec. 17, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2029. Those documents did not say what Smith was to be paid for this, or any other year of his employment. In addition, they said Smith will have performance incentives, but they "will be negotiated between the parties, the terms of which will be comparable with other Mid-American Conference institutions."
As of Dec. 1, 2025, if Ohio fires Smith without cause, it would owe him $2,511,250 — that's 100% of the base salary remaining on the contract. He would owe (or would to cause a third party to pay) the same amount if he leaves on Dec. 1, 2025.
Central Michigan, another MAC school is still working with coach Matt Drinkall under a "letter of agreement" that leaves details about incentives and an annual retention bonus undetermined. But the letter of agreement states it is "a fully binding contract, and shall remain valid, enforceable, and fully binding until the Long Form Agreement is fully executed by both parties."
