The top 15 highest-paid college football coaches in 2026, ranked by salary
Curt Cignetti and Kirby Smart are the highest-paid college football coaches in 2026, earning an average of $13.2 million per year. They are followed closely by Lane Kiffin, Ryan Day, and Kalen DeBoer, all of whom earn between $12.5 million and $13 million annually.
Source: Original
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Top 15 highest-paid college football coaches
- 15. Josh Heupel—$9 million
- 14. Marcus Freeman—$9 million
- 13. Deion Sanders—$10 million
- 12. Bill Belichick—$10 million
- 11. Eli Drinkwitz—$10.75 million
- 10. Dan Lanning—$11 million
- 9. Mike Elko—$11 million
- 8. Steve Sarkisian—$11 million
- 7. Dabo Swinney—$11.3 million
- 6. Lincoln Riley—$11.5 million
- 5. Kalen DeBoer—$12.5 million
- 4. Ryan Day—$12.5 million
- 3. Lane Kiffin—$13 million
- 2. Kirby Smart—$13.2 million
- 1. Curt Cignetti—$13.2 million
- Is Deion Sanders the highest-paid coach?
- How much is Bill Belichick getting paid to coach college?
Key takeaways
- The highest-paid college football coaches receive an annual wage of between $9 million and $13.2 million.
- As of May 2026, Curt Cignetti and Kirby Smart lead the pack with $13.2 million in annual earnings.
- Ohio State's Ryan Day and the University of Alabama's Kalen DeBoer both earn $12.5 million annually in 2026.
- Bill Belichick returned from retirement to coach North Carolina and earns an annual base salary of $10 million in 2026.
Top 15 highest-paid college football coaches
In compiling and ranking the highest-paid coaches in college football, we used publicly available contract details and compensation reports, acknowledging that these figures may change over time due to renegotiations, incentives, extensions, and performance-based earnings.
The figures mentioned are based on publicly available information from reputable sources, including official university disclosures, USA Today's 2025 compensation survey, ESPN, and Forbes.
College football coach | University | Annual salary as of 2026 |
Curt Cignetti | Indiana University Bloomington | $13.2 million |
Kirby Smart | University of Georgia | $13.2 million |
Lane Kiffin | Louisiana State University | $13 million |
Ryan Day | Ohio State University | $12.5 million |
Kalen DeBoer | University of Alabama | $12.5 million |
Lincoln Riley | University of Southern California | $11.5 million |
Dabo Swinney | Clemson University | $11.3 million |
Steve Sarkisian | University of Texas | $11 million |
Mike Elko | Texas A&M University | $11 million |
Dan Lanning | University of Oregon | $11 million |
Eli Drinkwitz | University of Missouri | $10.75 million |
Bill Belichick | University of North Carolina | $10 million |
Deion Sanders | University of Colorado Boulder | $10 million |
Marcus Freeman | University of Notre Dame | $9 million |
Josh Heupel | University of Tennessee | $9 million |
15. Josh Heupel—$9 million
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Joshua Kenneth Heupel
- Date of birth: 22 March 1978
- Age: 48 years as of 2026
- Place of birth: Aberdeen, South Dakota, United States
In August 2025, Josh Heupel received a contract extension through January 2030. In 2023, he received a contract extension that assured him of a $9 million annual pay, $4 million higher than his previous salary.
The contract guaranteed him the following benefits, with a maximum bonus listed at $1.7 million.
- $100,000 for making a bowl game
- Up to $1 million for winning the national championship
- $50,000 for finishing in the top 25
- $100,000 for finishing in the top 10
- $150,000 for finishing in the top 5
He would also receive additional money for playing in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), winning coach of the year, and academic progress rates.
14. Marcus Freeman—$9 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Marcus Louis Freeman
- Date of birth: 10 January 1986
- Age: 40 years as of 2026
- Place of birth: Dayton, Ohio, United States
In 2024, Forbes reported that Marcus Freeman had signed a three-year contract extension until 2030. The extension offered more than $9 million annually, up from $7 million in the deal he signed in 2021.
13. Deion Sanders—$10 million
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr.
- Date of birth: 9 August 1967
- Age: 58 years as of May 2026
- Place of birth: Fort Myers, Florida, United States
On 28 March 2025, Deion Sanders signed a five-year, $54 million contract extension. Coach Prime's original five-year deal was worth about $29.5 million before incentives.
Through the extension, his base salary would increase to $10 million in 2025. According to Denver Sports, the deal assured Sanders of $11 million in 2027 and 2028, and $12 million in 2029. The maximum total benefits in the contract come to over $1.8 million.
12. Bill Belichick—$10 million
Source: Twitter
- Full name: William Stephen Belichick
- Date of birth: 16 April 1952
- Age: 74 years as of 2026
- Place of birth: Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Bill Belichick signed his official employment contract with the UNC in January 2025. The five-year contract guaranteed him a $10 million annual base salary for the first three years, with a supplemental salary of $3.5 million.
Bill Belichick's contract offered bonuses for bowl trips and the team's academic performance. Here are more financial perks in the deal:
- $100,000 annual expense allowance
- $100,000 relocation expenses
- $150,000 to $350,000 for winning eight to twelve regular-season games
- $200,000 to $300,000 for reaching the SEC or winning it
- $250,000 to $500,000 for appearing in the final poll for the College Football Playoff (CFP)
- $750,000 for CFP game appearances
- $1.75 million for winning the CFP title
11. Eli Drinkwitz—$10.75 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Eliah Drinkwitz
- Date of birth: 12 April 1983
- Age: 43 years as of 2026
- Place of birth: Alma, Arkansas, United States
The University of Missouri and its head coach agreed to a six-year, $64.5 million extension in November 2025, offering him an average annual salary of $10.75 million.
As reported by Sports Illustrated, his salary would start at $10.25 million in 2026 and would rise by $200k each year, climbing to $11.25 million in 2031.
Drinkwitz's contract included a clause offering him a one-year extension if Missouri wins eight regular-season games, with another raise of $200k in the added year. Performance incentives in his contract could reach a maximum of $2 million each season.
10. Dan Lanning—$11 million
Source: Facebook
- Full name: Daniel Arthur Lanning
- Date of birth: 10 April 1986
- Age: 40 years as of 2026
- Place of birth: North Kansas City, Missouri, United States
In March 2025, the University of Oregon and Dan Lanning agreed to a six-year contract that offered him an $11 million base annual salary. In 2024, Dan Lanning's contract offered him a salary of $8.2 million from the university, pushing past $10 million in 2025.
Later in the year, he received a one-year extension after helping the Oregon Ducks secure a berth during the 2025 CFP. The contract, now valued at $65.4 million, would offer $10.6 million in salary plus $1 million in deferred compensation, as per Oregon Live.
9. Mike Elko—$11 million
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Michael Elko
- Date of birth: 28 July 1977
- Age: 48 years as of 2026
- Place of birth: South Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
In November 2025, Mike Elko signed a six-year, $69 million contract extension. The contract offered an average of $11 million annually, as reported by ESPN.
In his previous contract, Elko received a base salary of $7 million. With the extension, he would receive $12.25 million in the sixth and final year.
According to KBTX-TV, the contract included bonuses as high as $1.25 million for winning a national championship and $250,000 for winning the SEC title game or earning a spot in the CFP field.
8. Steve Sarkisian—$11 million
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Stephen Ambrose Sarkisian
- Date of birth: 8 March 1974
- Age: 52 years as of 2026
- Place of birth: Torrance, California, United States
In January 2025, the University of Texas and Steve Sarkisian agreed to a one-year contract extension that guaranteed him $74.2 million, according to The Athletic. His previous seven-year deal, signed in 2023, offered him a $5.6 million base salary in the first year, $10.3 million in 2024, with $100,000 annual raises.
His annual incentives run to a maximum of $1.8 million and include the following:
- $250,000 for leading the team to the CFP
- $500,000 for a quarterfinal appearance
- $750,000 for a semifinal appearance
- $1 million for a title game appearance
7. Dabo Swinney—$11.3 million
Source: Facebook
- Full name: William 'Dabo' Christopher Swinney
- Date of birth: 20 November 1969
- Age: 56 years as of May 2026
- Place of birth: Birmingham, Alabama, United States
According to USA Today, Clemson's Dabo Swinney receives a base salary of about $11,382,775. Swinney had signed a 10-year contract with the college worth $115 million in 2021.
In 2025, he ranked fourth among the highest-paid college football coaches, earning $11.4 million in total compensation. As per the contract details, he is expected to receive a buyout of $60 million if he is fired without cause.
6. Lincoln Riley—$11.5 million
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Lincoln Michael Riley
- Date of birth: 5 September 1983
- Age: 42 years as of May 2026
- Place of birth: Lubbock, Texas, United States
According to USA Today, Lincoln Riley is set to earn $11.5 million in 2026 before possible bonuses. In 2025, he received over $10.2 million in base wages and $100,000 in bonuses and incentive compensation.
As per the USC tax return documents cited by the publication, he received $1.15 million in reportable compensation.
5. Kalen DeBoer—$12.5 million
Source: Facebook
- Full name: Kalen Douglas DeBoer
- Date of birth: 24 October 1974
- Age: 51 years as of May 2026
- Place of birth: Milbank, South Dakota, United States
In April 2026, the University of Alabama and Kalen DeBoer finalised details of a seven-year extension, with an annual salary of $12.5 million, as per CBS Sports.
DeBoer was hired to succeed Nick Saban in January 2024. His salary at Washington had been $4.2 million, a year before taking the Alabama job.
4. Ryan Day—$12.5 million
Source: Facebook
- Full name: Ryan Patrick Day
- Date of birth: 12 March 1979
- Age: 47 years as of 2026
- Place of birth: Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
On 7 February 2025, CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello broke news of Ryan Day's contract details with Ohio State. The contract guaranteed him a base salary of $12.5 million.
The contract buyout was set at $11.5 million for every year remaining. His maximum performance incentives per year are $1.55 million, with a retention bonus of $250,000 on 31 January 2027.
3. Lane Kiffin—$13 million
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Lane Monte Kiffin
- Date of birth: 9 May 1975
- Age: 51 years as of 2026
- Place of birth: Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
Towards the end of 2025, Lane Kiffin inked a seven-year contract worth $91 million with LSU. The contract pays him $13 million before incentives annually, up from the $9 million annual salary he received in his previous posting at Ole Miss.
According to a Forbes report, his buyout from the contract is 80% of the remaining annual salary ($62.4 million). In addition to receiving a salary increase if he wins a national championship, the contract would offer the following bonuses:
- $750,000 for leading the team to the CFP
- $1 million for winning the SEC championship
- $3 million for winning the national championship
- Up to $500,000 to purchase a new home
2. Kirby Smart—$13.2 million
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Kirby Paul Smart
- Date of birth: 23 December 1975
- Age: 50 years as of May 2026
- Place of birth: Montgomery, Alabama, United States
In May 2024, Kirby Smart accepted the head coaching role at the University of Georgia with a $130 million, 10-year contract that runs through the end of the 2033 season. His total compensation of $13,282,580 made him the highest-paid college football coach in 2025.
According to the Athens Banner-Herald, his bonus structure would increase from a maximum of $1.5 million to $1.7 million annually. Here are further details on his bonuses,
- $250,000 for playing in a first-round game
- $500,000 for reaching the quarterfinals
- $750,000 for advancing to the semifinals
- $850,000 for playing in a national championship game
- $1.25 million for winning a national championship
- $100,000 for reaching the SEC and $200,000 for winning it
- $50,000 to $100,000 for non-playoff bowls
1. Curt Cignetti—$13.2 million
Source: Twitter
- Full name: Curtis Alan Cignetti
- Date of birth: 2 June 1961
- Age: 64 years as of May 2026
- Place of birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Curt Cignetti is the highest-paid college football coach in 2026. After leading the Indiana Hoosiers to their first NCAA championship in January 2026, he received a revised deal increasing his average annual salary from $11.6 million per year to $13.2 million, according to ESPN.
Is Deion Sanders the highest-paid coach?
Coach Prime ranks 13th among the highest-paid college football coaches at the time of this writing. His contract assures him of a $10 million salary in 2026, which will increase annually until 2029. At that time, his earnings will match those of other top earners such as Dan Lanning and Lincoln Riley.
How much is Bill Belichick getting paid to coach college?
Formerly one of the highest-paid NFL head coaches, Bill Belichick receives a $10 million annual base salary from the UNC. Depending on his performance, this figure could rise within the duration of the contract.
The highest-paid college football coaches have led their teams to championships and the CFP. With each athletic and academic achievement for the players, their earnings continue to rise.
Legit.ng has published an article ranking the highest-paid college football players. This list covers top athletes such as Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith, and Sam Leavitt.
For the top earners, their salaries are merely the cherries on top of illustrious careers. Read on for details of each player, their teams, records, and salary details.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
