The folks at USA Today on Wednesday released their annual list of salaries for FBS head coaching salaries, and once again it's full of fascinating information. Typically this is an early-December release, but this year's edition was evidently ready to go a couple months early.
Georgia's Kirby Smart is once again the highest-paid coach, clocking in at north of $13 million. Newly-minted national champion Ryan Day is second at just above $12.5 million, followed by USC's Lincoln Riley at $11.5 million and change. Riley is the highest-paid coach without a national champion, coming in slightly above 2-time champion Dabo Swinney.
In all, USA Today found that...
... 9 coaches earn at least $10 million
... 13 coaches earn at least $9 million
... 20 coaches earn at least $8 million
... 32 coaches earn at least $7 million
... 42 coaches earn at least $6 million
... 47 coaches earn at least $5 million
... 55 coaches earn at least $4 million
... 62 coaches earn at least $3 million
... 71 coaches earn at least $2 million
... 94 coaches earn at least $1 million
Here is the top 25; all numbers rounded to the nearest thousand.
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia -- $13.283 million
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State -- $12.575 million
3. Lincoln Riley, USC -- $11.538 million
4. Dabo Swinney, Clemson -- $11.447 million
5. Steve Sarkisian, Texas -- $10.8 million
6. Dan Lanning, Oregon -- $10.4 million
7. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama -- $10.25 million
8. Brian Kelly, LSU -- $10.175 million
9. Bill Belichick, North Carolina -- $10.1 million
10. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss -- $9 million
10. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri -- $9 million
10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee -- $9 million
10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky -- $9 million
14. Deion Sanders, Colorado -- $8.975 million
15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska -- $8.5 million
15. James Franklin, Penn State -- $8.5 million
17. Mario Cristobal, Miami -- $8.302 million
18. Curt Cignetti, Indiana -- $8.3 million
19. Bret Bielema, Illinois -- $8.2 million
20. Shane Beamer, South Carolina -- $8.15 million
21. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin -- $7.825 million
22. Jedd Fisch, Washington -- $7.575 million
23. Brent Venabables, Oklahoma -- $7.553 million
24. Billy Napier, Florida -- $7.47 million
25. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State -- $7.442 million
And the 10 highest-paid Group of 5 coaches
1. Jamey Chadwell, Liberty -- $5.937 million
2. Alex Golsesh, South Florida -- $2.5 million
2. Jeff Traylor, UTSA -- $2.5 million
4. Jeff Monken, Army -- $2.4 million
5. Ryan Silverfield, Memphis -- $2.25 million
6. Jim Mora, UConn -- $2.169 million
7. Spencer Danielson, Boise State -- $2.001 million
8. Trent Bray, Oregon State -- $2 million
8. Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State -- $2 million
10. Jay Norvell, Colorado State -- $1.9 million
And because I know you're curious, USA Today found that the lowest-paid full-time head coach in FBS is Missouri State's Ryan Beard, who will earn $450,000 this season.