College Football's 10 Highest-Paid Assistant Coaches in 2014

They don't make as much money as their bosses, but college football coordinators earn enough to make us all reassess some life decisions.

This has been the case for a while, which is scary since the contracts grow each season. When I assembled this list in March 2014, only five FBS assistants made seven figures. This year, that number ballooned to nine. Next year, there's a good chance it passes 10.

Assembling this list relied heavily on the USA Today salary database. However, those numbers reflect what coaches made in 2014, which means they don't reflect new hires and reworked contracts.

Thus, this list required a boatload of additional research. I am confident in the 10 names that follow, but there's a chance, however slight, that some coach slipped through the cracks. In that case, feel free to post his name in the comments, and I will edit if his contract checks out.

Also of note: The salaries that follow reflect what each coach will make next season. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster ranked No. 1 on the USA Today database for 2014, but that was only because of a one-time payment in his contract. The deal he signed this offseason will pay him $900,000 in 2015, per Andy Bitter of The Roanoke Times, which does not rank among the national top 10.

For that reason, he and others like him have been omitted.

10. OC Mike Norvell, Arizona State

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Salary: $901,560

Mike Norvell has followed Todd Graham from Tulsa (where he also learned under Gus Malzahn) to Pittsburgh to Arizona State, proving all the while that he deserves a top-10 coordinator contract.

The Sun Devils took a step back in 2014, when they finished No. 49 in the country in yards per play, but much of that can be attributed to injuries at quarterback. Taylor Kelly broke a bone in his right foot and never looked the same upon returning to the lineup.

Expect them to get back on track next season.

9. OC Brian Schottenheimer, Georgia

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Salary: $950,000

Georgia hired Brian Schottenheimer away from the St. Louis Rams, hoping to buy low on a coach on whom the NFL has soured.

Marty's son spent three years (2012 to 2014) as the offensive coordinator in St. Louis after six years (2006 to 2011) in the same role for the New York Jets, but his play-calling lacked originality, and he struggled in both locations to develop a franchise quarterback—although it should be mentioned that the Jets made two straight AFC Championship Games with Mark Sanchez under center in 2009 and 2010.

Schottenheimer will earn $950,000 next season, per David Paschall of the Times Free Press, which is a massive upgrade from the $578,700 Georgia paid offensive coordinator Mike Bobo in 2014. Bobo left this offseason to become the head coach at Colorado State.

8. DC Kevin Steele, LSU

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Salary: $1 million

LSU hired Kevin Steele to replace John Chavis, luring the former Clemson defensive coordinator away from Alabama.

Steele served as a linebackers coach in Tuscaloosa but brings experience running a defense (and a team) to Baton Rouge, having formerly served as the head coach at Baylor (1999 to 2002). He is known more for his recruiting than his X's and O's, and the shadow of the 2012 Orange Bowl still looms over him, but he's a relatively safe hire.

LSU signed Steele to a two-year contract paying $1 million per year, according to Ross Dellenger of The Advocate.

7. DC Jeremy Pruitt, Georgia

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Salary: $1.3 million

Jeremy Pruitt won a national championship at Florida State and fielded a successful defense in his first year at Georgia. Considering all the attrition Georgia felt in the secondary, the fact that it ranked No. 5 in the country in passing yards allowed per game (170.4) speaks volumes.

Accordingly, the Bulldogs raised Pruitt's salary from $850,000 to $1.3 million, bumping him past the seven-figure mark and into the national top 10. He proved his exploits at Florida State were about more than personnel, and for that he deserved big money.

"Our defense has performed overall at a very high level this season, and much of it is due to Jeremy's leadership," head coach Mark Richt said in a statement released by the school. "It's important that we solidify his tenure at Georgia and continue to build our defense in all areas including recruiting, coaching and player development."

6. DC Brent Venables, Clemson

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Salary: $1.35 million

Clemson finished last season with the No. 1 defense in college football, per the F/+ ratings at Football Outsiders.

As a result, the Tigers raised Brent Venables' salary by $500,000, pushing him into the much-deserved realm of seven figures.

When John Chavis left LSU for Texas A&M, Venables' name surfaced as a potential replacement, which surely helped him broker this deal. Clemson shelled out enough money to ensure its former defensive coordinator (Kevin Steele) took the LSU job over its current one.

5. DC Kirby Smart, Alabama

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Salary: $1.36 million

Kirby Smart ranked No. 2 on last year's USA Today salary database and would have ranked No. 1 if not for Bud Foster's one-time payment.

Four assistants jumped him this offseason, pushing Smart down to No. 5, but that has more to do with the expanding market for college coordinators than any sort of failure on Smart's end.

Alabama finished with the No. 3 defense in the country, per the F/+ ratings at Football Outsiders, and won the SEC title.

4. DC Todd Grantham, Louisville

Associated Press

Salary: $1.4 million

In his first year at Louisville, Todd Grantham led one of the best defenses in college football. A cynic might argue that he inherited a stacked deck—a roster developed by former head coach Charlie Strong and defensive coordinator Vance Bedford—but Grantham deserves at least a large share of the credit.

To reward him, the Cardinals raised his salary from $975,000 to $1.4 million, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. That is a significant upgrade, but it makes sense given all Grantham has done for the program.

In addition to the on-field success, he also lured former starters Shaq Wiggins and Josh Harvey-Clemons to Louisville from his previous job at Georgia. Both are expected to start in next year's rebuilt secondary.

3. OC Cam Cameron, LSU

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Salary: $1.5 million

Cam Cameron earned $1.3 million last season, but his contract increases to $1.5 million in 2015, per Scott Rabalais of The Advocate.

LSU hired Cameron from the NFL and scored a value when, for $600,000, he led one of the best offenses in program history two seasons ago. However, at the same time his salary increased, the production of his offense decreased, and now, on the heels of an anemic season, LSU needs offensive answers.

Can Cameron develop either Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris into a viable FBS quarterback? If not, it will support the belief that his 2013 personnel, which included quarterback Zach Mettenberger, running back Jeremy Hill and wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, had more to do with LSU's success than Cameron.

In other words: It will make Cameron seem overpaid.

2. DC Will Muschamp, Auburn

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Salary: $1.6 million

According to Chris Low and Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com, Auburn will pay Will Muschamp between $1.6 and $1.8 million per year.

The school has not confirmed an official number, so there's a chance Muschamp belongs at No. 1 instead of No. 2. But for now, let's play it safe and leave him at the low end of that report.

Either way, $1.6 million is a huge sum to pay a defensive coordinator. Muschamp flamed out as the head coach at Florida, but his record as an assistant, which includes two successful years (2006 to 2007) at Auburn, made him one of the hottest names on the market.

Even in 2014, the year that got him fired from Florida, his defense finished No. 5 in the country in yards per play allowed (4.55).

1. DC John Chavis, Texas A&M

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Salary: $1.67 million

Why did John Chavis leave LSU for Texas A&M? In his own words, it's a place he can win championships.

It's also a place that pays.

According to Jim Kleinpeter of The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune, Chavis signed a three- or four-year contract paying $1.67 million per season. That is approximately $350,000 more than he earned at LSU, where his compensation still ranked among the best in the country.

Former Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mark Snyder never built a defense to complement Kevin Sumlin's offense. Sensing they were one move away, the Aggies broke the bank to land The Chief.

It's hard to see this not working out.