Who are the five most underpaid college football coaches? Curt Cignetti leads list
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Who are the five most underpaid college football coaches? Curt Cignetti leads list
Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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3 min read
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Back on the market for a head coach in the winter of 2023, Indiana must've looked back at its checkered football past and wondered: Why don't we hire a coach who has never lost?
Before reversing a century or so of failure in Bloomington, Cignetti went 53-17 at Indiana University ofPennsylvania(2011-16), 14-9 at Elon (2017-18) and 52-9 atJames Madison(2019-23), overseeing the Dukes' wildly successful transition to the Bowl Subdivision.
Continuing these winning ways at Indianaf has made Cignetti perhaps the best bargain in college coaching.
He leads the way in USA TODAY Sports' list of the most underpaid coaches in college football:
Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Cignetti will earn $8.3 million in compensation in 2025, ranking him sixth among Big Ten coaches. You can easily make the argument Cignetti's contract represents the best bang-for-your-buck deal in the Power Four given Indiana's historic achievements in the past calendar year. After making an outrageous College Football Playoff appearance last season, the Hoosiers are 5-0 andranked No. 7 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Cignetti has the a buyout figure of $56.7 million.
Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti walks along the sideline during his team's game against Old Dominion at Memorial Stadium.
The formerGeorgia Techoffensive lineman has the No. 12 Yellow Jackets off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2014 and ranked in both major polls for the first time in a decade. Since taking over on an interim basis late in the 2022 season, Key has posted back-to-back bowl bids and has this year's team in the mix for the program's first ACC championship since 2009. Key is making $4.5 million in total compensation this season, which puts him among the bottom half of the ACC coaches and tied for 52nd among all coaches surveyed.
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.
Morris is in line for a promotion and a raise after earning $1.4 million this season for the unbeaten Mean Green. Seen as a quarterback whisperer after recruiting standouts such asCam WardandJohn Mateer, Morris has steadily turned North Texas into a Group of Five contender while building up a roster strong enough to compete in the American. The program's development is why Morris will be high on the list for Power Four openings this offseason.
Elko's $7 million in total compensation is tied for 31st overall among coaches in our survey but comes in behind 11 other SEC coaches. Relative to his conference peers, Elko has been a steal. After winning 16 games in two years at Duke and keeping Texas A&M in the mix for the SEC crown all the way down the wire of the regular season in 2024, Elko has the No. 5 Aggies at 5-0 and in the thick of the race for the playoff as one of four teams receiving a first-place vote in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll.
The winningest coach in Iowa State history continues to defy the odds. After winning a school-record 11 games in 2024 and starting 5-1 this season, Campbell is 69-52 with the Cyclones and 104-67 overall as a head coach. This year's team looks like one of the Big 12 favorites even after a loss to Cincinnati, this could be the year Campbell gets the national recognition he's long deserved. His $5 million in total compensation this season ranks eighth in the Big 12 and is far off the pace set by Deion Sanders' conference-leading $8.975 million in pay.
