The 25 Most Overpaid College Football Coaches

Coaching is a volatile occupation that in reality holds no guarantee of job security or stability.

Yes, if you win they want you to win more next year, and if you lose (even after winning) someone is sure to come after your head and your job sooner or later.

Despite the precariousness associated with being a football coach when one reaches the upper echelon of a high-profile college or NFL role, the allure of money can begin to make the instability look more acceptable.

The pay range currently associated with college head jobs starts in the neighborhood of $200,000 and peaks out at a generous five million smackers.

Thus, with this wide range and given the fact that compensation and performance rarely play in perfect harmony, it’s safe to say that some collegiate coaches are underpaid while others are overpaid.

The following slideshow identifies 25 college coaches that are overpaid either from the standpoint of comparative compensation with others in like roles or simply for the amount of money they earn versus the results they produce on the football field.

The compensation data for the guys who were in place coming into the 2011 season comes from USA Today’s most recent College Football Coach salary database, which was released back in November, while the other figures are cited individually.

25. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M

Despite the fact that Kevin Sumlin went 35-17 over his four years at Houston, it was curious that Texas A&M would hire an offensive-minded coach to replace dismissed, offense-focused coach Mike Sherman.

Especially given the Aggies' move to the conference where defense wins championships...the SEC.

So does a deal that reportedly starts at $2 million per year mean that Sumlin is overpaid?

Well, Texas A&M is paying Sumlin about the same amount it did Sherman (who was making $2.2 million per year), and really, you have to wonder if it's going to get more for its money...especially from a recruiting standpoint.

The other factor that makes Sumlin arguably “overpaid” is the fact that the Aggies are still paying out the contracts of Dennis Franchione and now Mike Sherman.

This means that base pay is a bit misrepresented, and though Sumlin may be the answer to the Texas A&M coaching question, it’s going to be costly to an athletic department that is already a bit stretched.

24. Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech

The Red Raider nation has had difficulty embracing Tommy Tuberville as its head coach simply because of how Mike Leach was handled at the end of the 2009 season.

Yes, it doesn’t have to be logical, but Texas Tech fans don’t like Tuberville because he represented the end of the Leach era and was the choice of an administration that bungled the transition.

A struggle to finish 8-5 in 2010 and an ugly 5-7 record in 2011 have done nothing to put salve on what is an angry, oozing wound.

Tommy Tuberville makes $2,000,059 per season in total pay, and though his track record spells future success, until he wins big in Lubbock, it will seem like he is being overcompensated.

23. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech

Based on the USA Today figures mentioned in the opening slideshow of this provocative presentation, Paul Johnson of Georgia Tech is the second-highest-paid head coach in the ACC.

Second to whom?

Well, Jimbo Fisher of Florida State, who makes $2.75 million per annum.

This means that at $2.369 million, Paul Johnson makes more dosh than do Frank Beamer and Dabo Swinney.

Sure, Johnson is 34-19 in four seasons at Georgia Tech with two division titles and an ACC crown in 2009, but how can he possibly out-earn Beamer, who has led the Hokies to seven conference titles?

Perhaps Beamer is underpaid rather than Johnson overpaid, but Paul Johnson is still among the 20 most generously compensated college football coaches in America.

22. Kevin Wilson, Indiana

The former offensive coordinator at Oklahoma and center at North Carolina, Kevin Wilson took the reins at Indiana for the 2011 season after Bill Lynch was let go after going 19-30 from 2007 to 2010.

Yes, anything would be an improvement over three-win, four-win and five-win seasons...well, except for a 1-11 finish, which is precisely what Wilson achieved in his first campaign ever as a head coach at any level.

It’s probably not fair to ping a guy for getting paid $1.26 million per year during his first campaign with a program that is a historic struggler in a stacked conference, but you have to wonder what the appropriate compensation level is for the job at Indiana.

21. Bo Pelini, Nebraska

Though you could easily argue that Bo Pelini is one of the lesser-deserving collegiate football leaders to be on this list, his No. 13-ranked salary coming into 2011 garners at least a second look in terms of compensation vs. performance.

Nebraska forks out $2.775 million per season for Pelini’s spirited services, and his bonus potential is a jaw-dropping $1 million per year.

In four full seasons in Lincoln, Pelini the Elder’s Huskers have never dropped below nine wins per season, but they’ve also never won a conference title or ascended to the lofty ides of the BCS dance.

It’s curious that Pelini is paid more than Bret Bielema, Frank Beamer, Mike Gundy and Gary Patterson, all proven coaches who have both won their respective conferences and played in the showcase showdown of college football.

20. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

Even with the cash-rich coaching carousel spinning wildly into 2012, Bob Stoops retains his top-four ranking in total compensation for football coaches in the collegiate ranks.

Stoops makes $4.075 million per season and has a bonus potential of $819,500, bringing his total compensation package close to a cool five million.

Stats such as a 139-34 record over 13 seasons, seven Big 12 crowns, eight South division titles and one national championship make it hard to say Stoops is overpaid.

That is, until you look at his record in big games such as BCS contests, where Stoops is 3-5, a number further exasperated by the fact that before the Sooners' 2011 triumph over UConn in the Fiesta Bowl Oklahoma had dropped five straight BCS games.

Stoops can get you there, but then he falters, which is markedly different from similarly compensated Nick Saban and Les Miles.

19. Urban Meyer, Ohio State

Per The Washington Post, Ohio State’s new head coach Urban Meyer has garnered a compensation plan of $4 million per year with guaranteed lump sum payments and additional potential for bonuses, which from a yearly standpoint puts him among the five highest-paid coaches in the country.

Since Meyer has been ultra successful at each of his first three head college jobs (no Meyer team has ever finished under eight wins), it’s easy to argue that he’s worth every penny of what he can manage to squeeze out of an institution.

But Meyer is being paid to win and win big, and simply put, if that doesn’t happen, then Ohio State won’t be getting the expected return on its huge investment.

And win big means, at minimum, winning the Big Ten and then capturing an elusive national title.

Yes, win big means either matching or eclipsing Jim Tressel’s stunning record at The Ohio State football University.

Tressel went 94-22 in 10 seasons (minus the vacated wins from 2010), captured six Big Ten crowns, earned eight BCS bids (again, in 10 years), won the big cheesy enchilada once and finished ranked in the Top 10 eight times and in the Top Five seven times.

This is what Meyer must do to not be overpaid in the eyes of the taxpayer.

Yikes.

18. Mike Leach, Washington State

Well, after two years of battling a bad rap and looking for a suitable coaching position, Mike Leach has landed at Washington State where he is reported to be paid $2.25 million per year in base salary.

After Leach’s stunning successes at Texas Tech, it’s easy to assume that the Cougars have landed quite the deal with the high-flying, pirate-like coach, but in reality the compensation level is worth a second look.

Leach is replacing Paul Wulff, who made $600,050 in 2011, making him the lowest-paid permanent BCS head coach last season (interim North Carolina coach Everett Withers made less).

Sure, Wulff went only 9-40 over four uninspired seasons at Washington State, but the Cougars are upgrading by paying a coach just less than four times more than they forked out for Wulff.

This is a coach that definitely put Texas Tech football on the map (especially offensively), but this is also a guy who holds only one title in his 10 seasons in Lubbock, which was a share of the 2008 Big 12 South division crown.

Yes, there never was a losing season, but Tech never won championships either.

Leach is going to make waves at Washington State, and all indicators point to him making the Cougars a contender, but you can’t help but wonder if $2.25 million is a bit out of whack from an economies of scale perspective.

17. Ken Niumatalolo, Navy

First things first: Ken Niumatalolo is a great football coach. He’s intense, enthusiastic and prepared, and he’s the guy who has continued the winning ways at Navy that began with Paul Johnson in 2002.

Plus, he looks good when he accessorizes with a flowery lei.

All this is true despite the fact that the Midshipmen dropped to a 5-7 record in 2011, marking their worst finish in Niumatalolo’s four-year tenure and the lowest output since the first year of the Johnson era.

Ken Niumatalolo makes $1,538,190 per year, making him the No. 46 highest-paid head coach in college football, which seems in line with a 32-21 record.

But at the end of the day, this is a federally funded military institution, a program that is 1-3 in its last four bowl appearances and a team that has absolutely no clear path to the BCS or a national title game.

Keeping all this is mind, a cool 1.5 mill seems like a whole lot of money regardless of how good Niumatalolo is.

Why?

To compare, Troy Calhoun at Air Force (the “other” successful academy coach) makes just $889,095 per season in total pay, and Rich Ellerson at Army makes just $610,000 per season, or less than half of what Navy pays Niumatalolo.

16. Mark Richt, Georgia

At $2,811,400 in total compensation, Mark Richt was the No. 10 highest-paid coach in college football in 2011.

With a Mack Brown/Bob Stoops-like record of 106-37 over 11 seasons, Richt’s pay at least seems like it is in the right ballpark.

But despite the overall tally, Richt has less to show for 106 wins than perhaps any other long-tenured coach in the nation.

Richt’s Bulldogs have won the SEC East five times and have won the elusive conference title twice, but the last time that happened was six years ago in 2005.

Yes, Georgia has played consistently with Richt, but despite seven 10-plus-win seasons in a decade, the Bulldogs have only ascended to the BCS a mere three times.

Mark Richt has definitely fielded good teams, but has he earned enough stroke to be one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in all of college football?

15. Gary Pinkel, Missouri

Over his 11 seasons at Missouri, Gary Pinkel has been a steady producer who has slowly built the Tigers into a contender.

Pinkel is 85-54 thus far in Columbia, and despite three 10-plus-win seasons he has never led Missouri to a Big 12 title (he owns three North division crowns) or a BCS berth.

All this adds up to a solid argument in favor of at least taking a second look at Pinkel’s compensation package that includes $2.7 million in total yearly pay and an additional $850,000 available via bonuses.

Pinkel came into 2011 as the No. 16-ranked college coach in total pay, making more money than Bret Bielema, Frank Beamer, Mike Gundy and Gary Patterson.

The lingering question is how long will Pinkel be worth a top-20 salary when he’s not winning championships?

It’s a question that becomes more pointed with Missouri’s imminent move to the SEC for the 2012 season.

14. June Jones, SMU

In his second collegiate head coaching rebuilding project, June Jones has masterfully righted the ship at SMU, which is no small task.

Jones is 24-28 in four seasons at SMU, which includes a 1-11 mark in his first year in 2008 that he followed with three consecutive winning seasons, two C-USA West divisional crowns and a 3-1 bowl record.

Yes, June Jones has done an excellent job at SMU, but his total pay per season of $1,727,082 is still tops in Conference USA and more than Art Briles (Baylor), Chris Petersen (Boise State) and Dana Holgorsen (West Virginia) make.

Private institutions such as SMU have oodles of money, but that doesn’t mean they can’t overpay for excellent service.

It’s kind of like a rich dude paying twice as much as the list price for a pair of factory-authorized windshield wipers for his Mercedes.

13. Jeff Tedford, Cal

Jeff Tedford is another guy with a long list of achievements at and loyalty to a single institution.

Tedford is 79-48 over 10 seasons at Cal, a tenure that has included one shared Pac-10 title (2006) and a 5-3 record in bowl games but is void of a BCS berth or a single-season win total of over 10 games.

Despite the weighing of results and lack thereof, Tedford came into the 2011 season as the No. 2-paid head man in the Pac-12 (behind Chip Kelly and quantified by the fact that Lane Kiffin’s salary is unknown) and No. 23 overall.

Jeff Tedford is yet another college head coach who is well paid and produces consistent results but has yet to take his program to the proverbial “next” level.

Honestly, there is no crime in that, but in an occupation that always wants more of you regardless of what you’ve already achieved, Tedford needs to eventually win big to justify his fat paycheck.

12. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest

Reviewing coaching salary listings almost always inevitably brings with it a bit of a jolt when you see Jim Grobe’s name in the top quarter of the charts.

Grobe came into the 2011 season making a whopping $2,275,545 in total pay, ranking him No. 25 nationally in terms of FBS compensation.

This is even more remarkable when you paint a picture that includes a 68-67 record over 11 seasons, one conference championship (2006), one BCS appearance, one season finish worthy of a final Top 25 ranking and overall only five winning seasons.

Yes, the highlights from an ACC finish standpoint are the No. 1 finish in 2006, a tie for No. 2 in the Atlantic division in 2007 and 2011, a No. 3 finish in 2008 and No. 4 honors in 2009.

In 2011 Wake Forest paid a dear price for its six wins, which came at a cost of $379,257.50 each.

Grobe is a solid coach and a fabulous representative for a great university, but a top-25 salary still seems a bit far-fetched if compensation indeed is reflective of results.

Results in college football tend to be gauged by wins.

11. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State

Coming into 2011, most prognosticators were fairly sure that in his second season on the sidelines Jimbo Fisher was primed to bring Florida State back to the forefront of college football.

Though a 9-4 finish is certainly nothing to snort at, dreams of ACC titles, BCS bids and possible national title trips were washed away in a non-Gatorade-induced flood.

As a second-year coach, Jimbo Fisher hauled in $2.75 million in total pay, which made him the top-paid coach in the ACC and No. 15 overall nationally.

Sure, Fisher is 19-8 overall and 11-5 in conference play since he got started in 2010, but what will Florida State have to pay to keep him if the Seminoles really do win the ACC and go any further?

10. David Cutcliffe, Duke

If you’re wondering who David Cutcliffe is and how he got to be the head coach at Duke, here’s a little background.

Cutcliffe was the head coach at Ole Miss from 1998 to 2004, where he led the Rebels to a 44-29 record and an SEC West title in 2003.

After stints as an assistant at Notre Dame and then Tennessee, Cutcliffe took over the head job at Duke in 2008, where he’s gone 15-33 in four seasons and is yet to post a winning record.

In terms of compensation figures, Cutcliffe makes $1,762,895 per annum in total pay, making him the No. 38 highest-paid coach in the land.

If you assume that Cutcliffe averaged $1.5 million per year in total pay over his four seasons, then you can assert that Duke has paid a cool $400,000 per each of the 15 wins the Blue Devils have enjoyed in his tenure.

Duke is no “easy peasy” college football coaching position, but the fact is that David Cutcliffe is making a lot of money guiding what is an unsuccessful football program.

Again, we’re assuming that success is defined by wins...and lots of them.

9. Charlie Weis, Kansas

Charlie Weis takes over at Kansas in 2012 for Turner Gill, who went 5-19 over two discouraging seasons in Lawrence.

Though Weis has served as an assistant in a wide variety of locales, his only head coaching experience comes via a five-year stint (2005-09) at Notre Dame, where he went 35-27.

The mark hardly looks suspect until you break it down further and see that despite the money and recruiting advantages, the Irish slid as Weis’ tenure continued.

In 2005 Notre Dame went 9-3, in 2006 10-3, 3-9 in 2007, 7-6 in 2008 and then 6-6 in 2009.

Per ESPN.com, Kansas has guaranteed Weis $2.5 million per year over five years, which puts him among the 20 highest-paid coaches in the country.

It’s hard to kick a guy who hasn’t even fielded a team yet, but Weis’ track record combined with the very real struggles that the Kansas job presents makes you wonder if such a high salary isn’t at least jumping the gun just a bit.

8. Brady Hoke, Michigan

You can’t take a single thing away from Brady Hoke’s stunning 11-2 Sugar Bowl championship inaugural season at Michigan, but boy did the Wolverines pay for it.

Hoke made $3.254 million in total pay in 2011, and you have to believe that he earned all or most of his $500,000 bonus potential, amping up his cash grab to the $3.7 million range.

Yes, last season the former coach of Ball State and San Diego State, the guy with one title as a head coach (a MAC West divisional crown in 2008), was the No. 8 highest-paid coach in America.

Is he worth it?

Perhaps, but if he continues to succeed, how much more is it going to cost the people of Michigan?

As an in-state comparison, it’s interesting to offer up Mark Dantonio from Michigan State, who was paid $1.918 million in total compensation in 2011.

Brady Hoke, 11-2 all-time at Michigan: cost per win this season...$295,818.81.

Mark Dantonio, 44-22 all-time at Michigan State, 11-3 in 2011: cost per win this season...$174,363.64.

Things that make you go hmmmmm.

7. Charlie Strong, Louisville

The Big East is transforming before our very eyes, but regardless of who is going and who is staying, the most generously compensated coach in the league is and should continue to be Louisville’s Charlie Strong.

In 2011 Strong’s $2.3 million total pay with an additional $500,000 available in bonuses made him the No. 22 highest-paid coach in the country.

Even though Charlie Strong shows more promise than perhaps any young coach in the college football nation, the fact remains that he is 14-12 over his first two seasons as a head coach in what is the easiest conference in the BCS ranks.

I’m not saying Strong is not going to be a great coach someday (I personally think he is)—I’m just suggesting that two 7-6 seasons doesn’t necessarily justify a top-25 place on the FBS pay charts.

Want more? Charlie Strong makes $800,000 more per year than does Dana Holgorsen of West Virginia.

6. Derek Dooley, Tennessee

The youthful Derek Dooley is simply hard not to root for (unless, of course, you hate all things blaring orange and all things Tennessee).

But regardless of any hopeful sentiments for the energetic, well-meaning and enthusiastic coaching protégé, how did Derek Dooley storm into the 2011 season as the No. 20 highest-paid college football coach in the land?

Yes, Dooley makes $2,330,591 per annum, which is a compensation level that he apparently reached by going 17-20 over three seasons at Louisiana Tech (2007-09) and now posting a 11-14 record in two seasons in Knoxville.

Tennessee’s five wins in 2011 cost the university $466,118.20 each, and if you want more numbers to chew on, taxpayers forked out a cool two million to have their beloved team win only one conference game this past season.

It’s no exaggeration to think that 2012 will be the year that either makes or breaks the Derek Dooley experiment in the Volunteer State, but Tennessee is in for about seven million smackers either way.

Despite everything, it's hard not to like the way Dooley rocks those orange pants...

5. Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee State

At a mere $589,405 in total yearly pay, it seems like splitting hairs to say that Rick Stockstill is among college football’s overpaid ranks, but like every other guy on this list, it’s interesting when you put his salary into a comparative perspective.

Stockstill is 35-40 over six seasons at Middle Tennessee State, where he has enjoyed only three winning seasons and one conference title and finished 2-10 in 2011.

Stockstill is the highest-paid coach in the Sun Belt Conference and also out-earns every coach in the MAC and three-quarters of the WAC head coaches.

Yes, Rick Stockstill out-earns Troy’s Larry Blakeney by $200,000 (which is a lot when you’re comparing $589K vs. $380K), only Blakeney is 163-92-1 at Troy and has five Sun Belt and three Southland championship rings.

If winning games is a gauge for college football compensation (which is a relative concept), Stockstill is certainly overpaid.

4. Randy Edsall, Maryland

Randy Edsall utilized his 74-70 record in 12 seasons at UConn to land the Maryland job for the 2011 season.

Edsall’s timing in jumping on the coaching carousel was impeccable, as he parlayed his 8-5 2010 finish, Big East co-championship and BCS appearance into a higher-profile position in a more stable conference.

Maryland was generous, as it welcomed the Pennsylvania native with a fat yearly paycheck of $2,013,440, making him the No. 32 highest-paid coach in the land coming into the 2011 season.

Perhaps you thought this was a bit much to dole out for the enthusiastic Edsall before the first snap, and if so, then the Terrapins' 2-10 output in 2011 made the number look ridiculous.

Hold on to your hats, folks—Maryland paid Randy Edsall $1,006,720 for each of his two wins in his inaugural campaign, putting him in a precarious position coming into year two in 2012.

Those flag-splatter-infused uniforms will serve as a smokescreen for only so long.

3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

When you look back over Kirk Ferentz’s 13 seasons at Iowa, it’s easy to be impressed with a résumé that includes a streak of solid squads who consistently compete at a high level.

Yes, Ferentz is 96-66 over his tenure at Iowa and 57-47 in Big Ten play, numbers that include Big Ten titles in 2002 and 2004 and four double-digit-win campaigns.

These are numbers that make it easy to understand why Kirk Ferentz continues to be a name that comes up in association with head coaching job openings in both the college ranks and the lucrative NFL.

But did you know that in 2011 Ferentz was the No. 5 highest-paid coach in college football?

Yes, the guy who hasn’t won a title since 2005 and hasn’t finished higher than No. 2 in the Big Ten since then is out-earned only by Mack Brown, Nick Saban, Bob Stoops and Les Miles.

Seriously?

Kirk Ferentz makes $3.785 million per year in total pay, and with a maximum bonus of $1.75 million Ferentz has the potential to make $5.5 million in a single season.

He’s the second-highest-paid coach in the Big Ten (falling just a mere $215,000 short of Ohio State’s Urban Meyer's new compensation package), and his seven wins in 2011 cost Iowa a cool $540,714.85 each.

2. Will Muschamp, Florida

It’s hard to imagine a guy who had never, ever served as a head coach at any level suddenly becoming the No. 9 highest-paid college football coach in the US of A.

But that’s exactly what happened when the University of Florida anointed Will Muschamp its new leader for the 2011 season, a move that came with a price tag of a whopping $3.221 million per annum.

That’s right—the carefully coiffed Muschamp entered the 2011 season making more dosh than the likes of Steve Spurrier, Chip Kelly, Bret Bielema and Frank Beamer.

All this makes an uninspired 7-6 season seem even more catastrophic.

Yes, the Gators are young, and sure, they were banged up, but Florida still paid the wholly unproven Will Muschamp $460,142.96 per win in 2011.

Ouch.

1. Mack Brown, Texas

Even the hiring of Urban Meyer at Ohio State couldn’t dethrone Texas’ Mack Brown as the highest-paid coach in college football.

Brown is the only sideline stalker who garners over $5 million per year, and with a bonus potential of over $800,000 his max pay nears a cool six mill.

Though it’s hard to argue the merit of Brown’s 141-39 record in 14 seasons in Austin, the Longhorns have only won two conference titles in the Mack Brown era.

That’s right...Texas has only won the Big 12 twice since Brown took over in 1998, and both times it's ascended to the national championship game, where it is 1-1.

The University of Texas is a football moneymaking machine, but that doesn’t mean it is a football game-winning machine, especially lately.

Mack Brown can out-recruit the best of them, but if all that talent continues to be wasted and winning championships is the end goal of a football program, then you have to wonder if Texas is getting what it's paying for.

Want two additional stats that put Brown’s compensation into perspective?

Mack Brown makes over a million dollars more per year in total pay than does Bob Stoops of Big 12 rival Oklahoma. Stoops has won seven conference titles in 13 years in Norman vs. Brown’s two in 14 years at Texas.

As well, Texas went 8-5 in 2011, meaning that the Longhorns paid Brown $649,187.50 per win this past season.