The annual database of coaching salaries was released by USA TODAY Sports this week, which is always fun to dig into.
Naturally, James Franklin continues to be ranked among the highest-paid head coaches in college football. Some may argue Penn State is getting a good deal on Franklin’s contract (and, yes, others may vehemently disagree with that idea).
This got me wondering where Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz fits in the economic stratosphere of college football assistants. I had to imagine it was a pretty comfortable spot to be in with his contract buyout still ongoing from Miami and whatever he is earning from Penn State.
And let me perfectly clear. Whatever Diaz is getting paid from Penn State, it has been worth every penny this season. Penn State’s defense is among the best in the nation in a variety of statistical categories, including points allowed per game and rushing defense. Penn State has traditionally been pretty strong on defense, but this year’s Nittany Lions lead the nation in turnovers gained, which is a credit to the focus and direction of Diaz.
But Penn State does not provide assistant coaching salary information to USA TODAY Sports, so we have to do some guessing on where exactly Diaz sits. So let’s dig into this a little bit to see what Diaz may be getting, where things go beyond this season, and just whether or not Penn State is getting a steal on the assistant coaching market.