USA TODAY released its database for college football’s highest-paid coaches earlier this week, and Clemson‘s Dabo Swinney led all ACC coaches by more than $3.5 million.
The only active coach in the conference with a national championship with his current program (North Carolina‘s Mack Brown won with Texas), Swinney is also the only ACC coach among the top 10. At more than $10.8 million, he slots between Alabama‘s Nick Saban and Georgia‘s Kirby Smart as the 2nd-highest paid in the country.
Mike Norvell, who has Florida State on the verge of a College Football Playoff appearance, follows Swinney at $7.3 million. Brown, with his reputation, is lower than one might expect on the list. Read below to see where each coach in the conference compares to his peers.
| Name | Team | 2023 Salary | National Rank | Total Buyout |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson | $10,884,775 | 2nd | $64,000,000 |
| Mike Norvell | Florida State | $7,300,000 | 15th | $42,209,583 |
| Pat Narduzzi | Pittsburgh | $5,875,817 | 28th | N/A |
| Jeff Brohm | Louisville | $5,550,000 | 31st | $31,416,667 |
| Dave Doeren | NC State | $5,024,390 | 35th | $10,307,926 |
| Mack Brown | North Carolina | $5,000,000 | 36th | $2,812,500 |
| Dave Clawson | Wake Forest | $4,284,656 | 42nd | N/A |
| Tony Elliott | Virginia | $4,250,000 | 43rd | $19,475,000 |
| Dino Babers | Syracuse | $4,063,138 | 46th | N/A |
| Brent Pry | Virginia Tech | $4,000,000 | 51st | $12,650,000 |
| Jeff Hafley | Boston College | $3,120,012 | 55th | N/A |
| Brent Key | Georgia Tech | $2,800,000 | 60th | $7,213,333 |
Duke’s Mike Elko and Miami’s Mario Cristobal, since their schools are private, did not have a salary listed in the database.