It may not be a monumental day in the world of college football, but it’s something we definitely take note of.
Each season, USA TODAY releases the database for salaries of college football head coaches at public universities, showing who is paid the most per season, the potential bonuses included, and the buyouts coaches have to pay if they end their contracts before a certain period of time.
That last bit of information is always the most interesting since it usually becomes one of the most notable figures each and every year as we see the coaching carousel continue to churn in the world of college football.
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning became a very rich man earlier this year, signing a new contract extension before the season in late July and tying him to the team through the end of the decade.
Lanning’s extension increases his yearly salary from $4.7 million to $7 million, increasing by $200,000 each year through 2028. Should he hit all of his incentives and kickers, Lanning could make more than $70 million over the next nine years in Eugene, while a massive $20 million buyout has been put in place should he leave the Ducks.
So how do those numbers stack up against the other highly paid coaches in the nation? Now that USA TODAY’s database has been released, we can finally get an idea:
** It should be noted that the database only covers public universities, so contracts for Lincoln Riley (USC), Josh Freeman (Notre Dame) and coaches at other private schools are not included. **