College Football Preseason Rankings: Checking Coaches' Salaries of the Top 25

Landing or keeping a high-quality college football coach doesn't come cheap—the salaries can be massive.

I was a big fan of that article "College Football Coaches Salaries: What the Top 100 Make and Are They Worth It?" Every year, I love to read the USA Today report on how much coaches made. I also like to track the changes in contracts; this year has been particularly busy. 

Most football programs in conferences with a BCS bowl tie-in bring in as much as an NFL team, or much more. In 2008 the Texas Longhorns brought in $59 million in profit. That's more than what the Jacksonville Jaguars profited in 2008 and 2009.

With the gigantic profits coming into these schools, the debate exists on whether college players should be paid. No matter what side of the argument you find yourself on, you still have to pay the coach.

Here is the preseason coaches poll, along with the head coaches' projected salaries for this coming year.

Disclaimer

The exact figures for each coach's salary may not be 100 percent accurate as even the USA Today report gets figures wrong.

These figures are based upon the 2010 USA Today report, the College Football Nation blog on ESPN and a few other Google searches to try and find the most accurate figure.

It's not like these guys are going to let me audit the finances to get the best number.

If I have something wrong and you have the correct answer for it, please leave me a comment and I will correct my mistake. 

No. 25 Penn State, Joe Paterno

2011 Salary: $1.9 million

2010 Salary: $1.9 million

$1.9 million sounds like a lot, but when you consider that Forbes magazine ranked Penn State as the third most profitable NCAA football program, I feel like the old timer is being taken advantage of.

But, $1.9 million year after year (after year after year after year) adds up pretty well.

No. 24 Texas Longhorns, Mack Brown

2011 Salary: $5-plus million 

2010 Salary: $5.16 million

Mack Brown made the NCAA coaches' salaries famous. In 2009 when school officials decided to bump Brown's salary above $5 million, the University of Texas' faculty were in an uproar.

In 2009 Forbes magazine ranked the Texas Longhorns as the most valuable team in NCAA football, worth $199 million, profiting $59 million per year. 

WOW.

No. 23 Florida Gators, Will Muschamp

2011 Salary: $2.75 million

2010 Salary: $900,000

It's going to be the first year for this former "Texas head coach-in-waiting" to show us what he's got as head coach.

While Will Muschamp was guaranteed $3 million on top of his regular salary if Mack Brown didn't retire after this season, he decided to take the pay cut and coach the Gators.

What people from Texas will pay for football...

No. 22 Georgia Bulldogs, Mark Richt

2011 Salary: $2.93 million

2010 Salary: $2.93 million

Head coaching contracts in the NCAA have a bonus structure based on performance. Having a .500 season and getting to a bowl game is the minimum; losing that bowl game doesn't help your cause.

No. 21 Missouri Tigers, Gary Pinkel

2011 Salary: $2.35 million

2010 Salary: $2.35 million

Gary Pinkel was given a two-year contract extension this year, but it didn't come with a pay increase. The new contract did include unnamed "incentives," which this contributor can only speculate would be moonshine and a free trip to Branson to see Dolly Parton.

No. 20 Mississippi State, Dan Mullen

2011 Salary: $2.65 million

2010 Salary: $1.2 million

Dan Mullen's short career as head coach of Mississippi State has been good enough to land him a nice contract extension.

For those people who don't know much about the Bulldogs, let me just remind you that they were the ones trashing the Wolverines in the Gator Bowl, which was the final blow to Rich Rod's tenure. 

No. 19 Auburn Tigers, Gene Chizik

2011 Salary: $3.4 million

2010 Salary: $3.5 million*

It does pay to be the national champion, and Gene Chizik has got a nice bonus to prove it. With $3.5 million last year, he could have paid off Cam Newton's dad with his pocket change.

*Chizik's full compensation for the 2010 season won't be disclosed until the end of 2011 because the bonuses associated with the BCS Championship win occurred in 2011.

No. 18 Notre Dame, Brian Kelly

2011 Salary: ?

2010 Salary: ?

Since Notre Dame is a private institution, it doesn't have to publish it's faculty's salaries. Nonetheless, when Charlie Weis bit the dust it was found that he was making between $3 million to $4 million a year. That should give us a good gauge on Brian Kelly's paycheck.

Plus, Notre Dame is one of the top three most profitable NCAA football programs in the country. I'm sure it can scrounge up some decent cash for its coach.

No. 17 Michigan State, Mark Dantonio

2011 Salary: $1.8 million

2010 Salary: $1.8 million

Mark Dantonio is one coach who is due for a raise. He received his contract extension and pay raise at the beginning of the 2009 season and after two amazing seasons, no contract extension.

Hmm...

No. 16 Ohio State, Luke Fickell

2011 Salary: $750,000

2010 Salary: $250,000

While technically not the head coach of the Buckeyes, Luke Fickell isn't getting paid a lot to run the most infamous football powerhouse in the country.

The job does come with the use a private jet, though. I hope there is a nice bonus package attached to that salary. 

No. 15 TCU Horned Frogs, Gary Patterson

2011 Salary: ?

2010 Salary: ?

Again, we have a private institution that doesn't have to publish its payroll, but sources close to ESPN believe his contract extension gives him around $3 million per year.

What I am sure of is if you mix Texas and Jesus and turn it into a school, you will have some very wealthy benefactors. I can only bet that TCU's "Little Sisters of the Poor" are able to provide a lot of expensive perks. 

No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks, Bobby Petrino

2011 Salary: $3.56 million

2010 Salary: $2.71 million

Bobby Petrino got a very nice and well-deserved contract extension this year, but it came with a catch: If he wants to leave Arkansas within the next five years, it's going to cost him more than $10 million to buy out the contract. OUCH!

No. 13 Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer

2011 Salary: $2.12 million

2010 Salary: $2.12 million

Frank Beamer is another long-standing head coach who is glad to coach a team he loves and receive a regular paycheck. Only that regular paycheck is in the millions.

No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks, Steve Spurrier

2011 Salary: $3.55 million

2010 Salary: $2 million

Not only did Steve Spurrier get a pay increase this year, but he will also receive a one-time payment of $1 million at the end of this season. Why? Because they like him.

No. 11 Nebraska, Bo Pelini

2011 Salary: $2.75 million

2010 Salary: $2.3 million

Now that the Cornhuskers are in the Big Ten, they want to hold on to their coach, so this year Bo Pelini received a nice little raise in his five-year extension that will be paying him more than $3 million by 2014.

Bo better "git 'er done!"

No. 10 Wisconsin, Bret Bielema

2011 Salary: $2.5 million

2010 Salary: $1.7 million

If you beat Ohio State and make it to the Rose Bowl, you get a pay raise. Bret Bielema has solidified himself as the head coach of Wisconsin with a paycheck to prove it.

No. 9 Texas A&M, Mike Sherman

2011 Salary: $2.2 million

2010 Salary: $1.8 million

That's not a bad haul for a head coach with a career record of .500 at Texas A&M. Mike Sherman's contract extension this year adds $400,000 more per year and two more years. 

No 8. Oklahoma State, Mike Gundy

2011 Salary: $2.2 million

2010 Salary: $2.2 million

Mike Gundy has a comfortable salary at Oklahoma State with a few chances for bonuses. He's still in the middle of his current contract signed in 2009, but he's due for an extension. 

No. 7 Boise State, Chris Petersen

2011 Salary: $1.525 million

2010 Salary: $1.49 million

Here we have Chris Petersen. He is proof that you don't need a multi-million dollar coach to make a huge impact.

Also a member of the "Little Sisters of the Poor," Boise's move to the Mountain West can help bring better TV packages to the school, as well as better exposure in other markets. Don't expect this school to be poor for long.

No. 6 Stanford, David Shaw

2011 Salary: ?

2010 Salary: ?

Again, private schools don't disclose their payrolls.

David Shaw has a great squad to work with for his inaugural season as Stanford's head coach. Knowing people who went to Stanford, they sure do have some money to work with.

I'm speculating $1.5 million because he's new, but definitely a nice contract extension if he works out. 

No. 5 Florida State, Jimbo Fisher

2011 Salary: $2.25 million

2010 Salary: $1.8 million

It didn't take long for Bobby Bowden's replacement to get the attention of the decision makers. After only one season as head coach of the Seminoles, Jimbo Fisher lands himself a $450,000 pay raise.

His new contract extension also eliminates his complex incentive structure, but a good portion of the important stuff is there, like $250,000 for winning the BCS Championship Game.

No. 4 LSU, Les Miles

2011 Salary: $3.75 million

2010 Salary: $3.75 million

Obviously, Michigan wasn't able to pry Les Miles away from LSU with more money. His current pay structure stays the same, but there are a ton of available bonuses attached with it. 

No. 3 Oregon Ducks, Chip Kelly

2011 Salary: $2.8 million

2010 Salary: $2.4 million

Chip Kelly's contract with Oregon has him making more than $3.5 million by 2015. Well deserved for taking a mediocre program and turning it into the most electrifying team in college football. 

No. 2 Alabama, Nick Saban

2011 Salary: $4.15 million

2010 Salary: $6.08 million

Nick Saban's 2009 BCS championship win in Pasadena made him a very wealthy man.

Mack Brown must be super jealous. But Saban has to start with his regular salary again this year and build upon it. Good luck topping 2010. 

No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners, Bob Stoops

2011 Salary: $4.3 million

2010 Salary: $4.275 million

If I were to tell you that you would be the head coach of a massive football program and your contract would only increase by $25,000 a year, it might sound like a bum deal.

But, if that contract started at $4.15 million, it would sound a little different?

Bob Stoops is swimming in dough. With more than 10 years at the helm of Oklahoma, he's got a vault that Scrooge McDuck would want to swim in.