Alabama's Nick Saban Tops List of 2023's Highest-Paid CFB Coaches at $11.4M

College football head coaches are receiving higher salaries than ever before, but only one of them reigns supreme.

Per Tom Schad and Steve Berkowitz of USA Today, this year's annual review of coaches compensation revealed that Alabama's Nick Saban is the highest-paid head coach in college football this year with a salary of $11.4 million.

Saban is making roughly half a million more than the second-highest-paid coach in the country, Clemson's Dabo Swinney. He is one of seven SEC coaches making at least $9 million this year, meaning seven of the top 10 highest-paid coaches in the country hail from that conference:

• Nick Saban, Alabama: $11.4 million
• Dabo Swinney, Clemson: $10.8 million
• Kirby Smart, Georgia: $10.7 million
• Ryan Day, Ohio State: $10.2 million
• Brian Kelly, LSU: $9.9 million
• Jimbo Fischer, Texas A&M: $9.1 million
• Mark Stoops, Kentucky: $9.01 million
• Josh Heupel, Tennessee: $9 million
• Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: $9 million
• James Franklin, Penn State: $8.5 million

Per Schad and Berkowitz, "This is the first time that this many football coaches have eclipsed the $9 million mark in a single season − let alone from the same conference. As recently as 2020, there was only one coach in the country making that much."

A seven-time national champion with six titles at Alabama, Saban is in the midst of one of his toughest seasons as head coach of the Crimson Tide. While the team is ranked No. 11 and has a 4-1 record, it has not looked as dominant as previous squads under Saban. This season marks the first time since 2015 that Alabama has been ranked outside of the top 10 in the AP Poll.

Things are moving in a positive direction, as Alabama is coming off back-to-back SEC wins over then-No. 15 Ole Miss and Mississippi State, The Crimson Tide will look to remain undefeated in conference play when they travel to face Texas A&M on Saturday.