There’s no doubt that an immense amount of pressure is placed on college football coaches around the country.
Well, most of the time, the compensation properly reflects the hard work and dedication these coaches put on the field with their squads on the daily.
Believe it or not, the highest-paid NFL and college coaches are paid very similarly. The salary discrepancies between the two leagues can mainly be seen when you take a look at the average compensations.
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The average NFL head coach's salary is $6.692 million, while the average college football compensation for the 108 NCAA I coaches is $1.75 million.
Let’s break it down. Here’s everything you need to know about how much high-paid college football coaches make in 2022:
How much do the highest-paid college football coaches in 2022 get paid?
1. Nick Saban salary: $11.7 million (Alabama)
2. Kirby Smart salary: $11.25 million (Georgia)
3. Dabo Swinney salary: $10.5 million (Clemson)
4. Lincoln Riley salary (estimated): $10-plus million (USC)
5. Brian Kelly salary: $9.5 million (LSU)
6. Mel Tucker salary: $9.5 million (Michigan State)
7. Ryan Day salary: $9.5 million (Ohio State)
8. David Shaw salary: $8.925 million
9. Mario Cristobal salary: $8 million (Miami)
10. Jimbo Fisher salary: $7.5 million (Texas A&M)
11. Lane Kiffin salary: $7.25 million (Ole Miss)
12. Jim Harbaugh salary: $7.05 million (Michigan)
13. James Franklin salary: $7 million (Penn State)
14. Pat Fitzgerald salary: $5.748 million (Northwestern)
15. Chip Kelly salary: $5.6 million (UCLA)
16. Steve Sarkisian salary: $5.45 million (Texas)
Which highest-paid football coaches got fired in 2021?
Gary Patterson, TCU: $6.1 million salary
Dan Mullen, Florida: $7.57 million salary
Ed Orgeron, LSU: $9.01 million salary
How much do the highest-paid NFL coaches make?
1. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams: $15-$18 million
2. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots: $12.5 million
3. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks: $11 million
4. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers: $9.5 million
5. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens: $9 million