Tag: Gus Malzahn salary

USA TODAY lists Malzahn’s buyout as too high to happen this season

Gus Malzahn would be owed more than $20 million if fired after this season.

[jwplayer qATe7NJU]

For those looking for a change at the top of the Auburn football program following this season, you might be a bit disappointed to read this.

Per USA TODAY Sports, Gus Malzahn is one of seven coaches in college football that have a buyout that is too high for the university to pay following this season.

It makes sense considering the economic trouble that a lot of collegiate athletic departments are facing due to COVID-19 this season and even more sense when you look at the high price tag that comes with getting rid of Malzahn: $21,450,000.

From USA TODAY:

Buyout: $21,450,000

Mitigation/offset: None

Malzahn’s buyout made him nearly untouchable even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the idea of paying him $21 million at the end of this season – and then also bankrolling a new coach’s salary – seems particularly ludicrous. In fact, depending on the significance of Auburn’s revenue losses this year, Malzahn could be all but locked in as the Tigers’ coach for several years to come.

Gus Malzahn in top 10 of college football salaries for 2020

The Tigers coach has one of the highest salaries and buyouts in the nation.

This is a fact that will, I’m sure, make all Auburn fans thrilled: Gus Malzahn is the seventh-highest paid head coach in college football.

His contract, as released by USA TODAY Sports, comes in at $6,927,589 for 2020. He only trails Alabama’s Nick Saban, LSU’s Ed Orgeron, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher and Georgia’s Kirby Smart in the rankings.

Malzahn signed his new contract shortly after defeating Georgia and Alabama, both ranked No. 1 when they came to Jordan-Hare Stadium, in 2017 and it was rushed by then-university president Steven Leath.

While his buyout isn’t the largest in the country, it is close. It would cost Auburn $21,450,000 if the school was to fire him as of Dec. 1, 2020.

Below is the entire chart.

2020 NCAAF COACHES SALARIES
RK SCHOOL CONF COACH SCHEDULED SCHOOL PAY CONTRACT YEAR PANDEMIC REDUCTION ACTUAL SCHOOL PAY TOTAL PAY TOTAL PANDEMIC REDUCTION SCHOOL BUYOUT AS OF 12/1/20
1 Alabama SEC Nick Saban $9,100,000 $0 $9,100,000 $9,300,000 $0 $36,800,000
2 Louisiana State SEC Ed Orgeron $8,687,500 $0 $8,687,500 $8,918,500 $0 $23,850,000
3 Clemson ACC Dabo Swinney $8,258,575 $0 $8,258,575 $8,319,775 $1,250,000 $50,000,000
4 Michigan Big Ten Jim Harbaugh $8,054,000 $268,721 $7,785,279 $8,036,179 $554,584 $6,367,929
5 Texas A&M SEC Jimbo Fisher $7,500,000 $0 $7,500,000 $7,500,000 $0 $53,125,000
6 Georgia SEC Kirby Smart $6,803,600 $0 $6,803,600 $6,933,600 $0 $19,835,834
7 Auburn SEC Gus Malzahn $6,900,000 $0 $6,900,000 $6,927,589 $0 $21,450,000
8 Oklahoma Big 12 Lincoln Riley $6,507,143 $300,417 $6,202,726 $6,202,726 $515,000 $30,974,666
9 Texas Christian Big 12 Gary Patterson — — — $6,130,937 — —
10 Florida SEC Dan Mullen $6,070,000 $0 $6,070,000 $6,070,000 $0 $12,000,000
11 Texas Big 12 Tom Herman $6,000,000 $172,083 $5,827,917 $5,827,917 $516,250 $15,416,667
12 Ohio State Big Ten Ryan Day $5,748,264 $101,570 $5,646,694 $5,651,694 $236,877 $45,464,910
13 Northwestern Big Ten Pat Fitzgerald — — — $5,218,658 — —
14 Michigan State Big Ten Mel Tucker $5,057,000 $99,750 $4,957,250 $5,057,250 $266,000 $23,186,513
15 Kentucky SEC Mark Stoops $5,000,000 $0 $5,000,000 $5,013,600 $0 $23,750,000
16 Mississippi State SEC Mike Leach $5,000,000 $0 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $0 —
17 Nebraska Big Ten Scott Frost $5,000,000 $166,667 $4,833,333 $4,833,333 $166,667 $25,375,000
18 Stanford Pac-12 David Shaw — — — $4,812,197 — —
19 Iowa Big Ten Kirk Ferentz $4,900,000 $229,250 $4,670,750 $4,670,750 $393,000 $20,721,250
20 Utah Pac-12 Kyle Whittingham $5,000,000 $365,822 $4,634,178 $4,634,178 $365,822 $9,250,000
21 Southern California Pac-12 Clay Helton — — — $4,569,507 — —
22 South Carolina SEC Will Muschamp $4,600,000 $230,000 $4,370,000 $4,370,000 $470,000 $15,378,750
23 UCLA Pac-12 Chip Kelly $4,300,000 $0 $4,300,000 $4,300,000 $0 $9,000,000
24 Minnesota Big Ten P.J. Fleck $4,600,000 $318,320 $4,281,680 $4,281,680 $548,320 $18,697,250
25 Virginia Tech ACC Justin Fuente $4,250,000 $0 $4,250,000 $4,250,000 $0 $12,500,000
26 Oklahoma State Big 12 Mike Gundy $4,250,000 $91,146 $4,158,854 $4,158,854 $312,500 $6,351,563
27 Pittsburgh ACC Pat Narduzzi — — — $4,075,994 — —
28 Wisconsin Big Ten Paul Chryst $4,250,000 $318,750 $3,931,250 $3,983,750 $318,750 $15,328,333
29 Missouri SEC Eliah Drinkwitz $4,025,000 $100,000 $3,925,000 $3,925,000 $100,000 $14,350,000
30 Tennessee SEC Jeremy Pruitt $3,846,000 $0 $3,846,000 $3,846,000 $0 $12,880,000
31 Virginia ACC Bronco Mendenhall $4,100,000 $264,794 $3,835,206 $3,836,706 $264,794 $16,886,875
32 Illinois Big Ten Lovie Smith $4,000,000 $200,000 $3,800,000 $3,800,000 $200,000 $2,600,000
33 Indiana Big Ten Tom Allen $3,770,000 $0 $3,770,000 $3,770,000 $50,000 $20,550,000
34 Mississippi SEC Lane Kiffin $3,900,000 $135,750 $3,764,250 $3,764,250 $275,250 —
35 Rutgers Big Ten Greg Schiano $4,030,000 $266,664 $3,763,336 $3,763,336 $266,664 $24,600,000
36 Arizona State Pac-12 Herm Edwards $3,500,000 $0 $3,500,000 $3,640,000 $0 $16,291,667
37 Houston AAC Dana Holgorsen $3,800,000 $190,000 $3,610,000 $3,610,000 $190,000 $9,416,667
38 Vanderbilt SEC Derek Mason — — — $3,534,497 — —
39 Florida State ACC Mike Norvell $4,000,000 $468,750 $3,531,250 $3,531,250 $968,750 $19,111,719
40 North Carolina ACC Mack Brown $3,500,000 $43,750 $3,456,250 $3,456,250 $112,500 $3,156,250
41 Iowa State Big 12 Matt Campbell $3,700,000 $248,562 $3,451,438 $3,451,438 $497,124 $20,308,333
42 Kansas Big 12 Les Miles $3,450,000 $150,000 $3,300,000 $3,300,000 $150,000 $8,556,250
43 Arizona Pac-12 Kevin Sumlin $3,100,000 $216,667 $2,883,333 $3,283,333 $455,000 $7,500,000
44 California Pac-12 Justin Wilcox $3,350,000 $73,752 $3,276,248 $3,276,248 $228,756 $19,566,250
45 Cincinnati AAC Luke Fickell $3,400,000 $127,500 $3,272,500 $3,272,500 $255,000 $23,800,000
46 Syracuse ACC Dino Babers — — — $3,208,683 — —
47 NC State ACC Dave Doeren $3,250,000 $121,875 $3,128,125 $3,133,125 $446,875 $5,010,416
48 Georgia Tech ACC Geoff Collins $3,100,000 $0 $3,100,000 $3,100,000 $0 $17,258,333
49 Louisville ACC Scott Satterfield $3,250,000 $162,500 $3,087,500 $3,087,500 $325,000 $9,810,938
50 Colorado Pac-12 Karl Dorrell $3,200,000 $160,000 $3,040,000 $3,040,000 $320,000 $15,200,000
51 West Virginia Big 12 Neal Brown $3,105,000 $155,000 $2,950,000 $2,950,000 $312,500 $12,975,000
52 Washington Pac-12 Jimmy Lake $3,000,000 $87,500 $2,912,500 $2,912,500 $152,084 $13,410,417
53 Arkansas SEC Sam Pittman $3,000,000 $100,000 $2,900,000 $2,900,000 $250,000 —
54 Texas Tech Big 12 Matt Wells $3,000,000 $127,167 $2,872,833 $2,872,833 $390,833 $9,068,179
55 Washington State Pac-12 Nick Rolovich $3,020,000 $150,000 $2,870,000 $2,870,000 $181,250 $5,465,000
56 Duke ACC David Cutcliffe — — — $2,784,769 — —
57 Oregon Pac-12 Mario Cristobal $2,700,000 $157,500 $2,542,500 $2,542,500 $285,333 $5,325,250
58 Maryland Big Ten Mike Locksley $2,605,000 $130,250 $2,474,750 $2,474,750 $265,500 $7,461,756
59 Kansas State Big 12 Chris Klieman $2,500,000 $176,042 $2,323,958 $2,323,958 $360,750 $17,622,405
60 Navy AAC Ken Niumatalolo — — — $2,316,000 — —
61 Wake Forest ACC Dave Clawson — — — $2,303,069 — —
62 Central Florida AAC Josh Heupel $2,300,000 $0 $2,300,000 $2,300,000 $0 $3,593,750
63 Oregon State Pac-12 Jonathan Smith $2,400,000 $112,000 $2,288,000 $2,288,000 $168,000 $6,952,000
64 South Florida AAC Jeff Scott $2,300,000 $67,500 $2,232,500 $2,232,500 $247,500 —
65 Notre Dame ACC Brian Kelly — — — $1,863,893 — —
66 North Texas CUSA Seth Littrell $1,850,000 $0 $1,850,000 $1,850,000 $0 $4,275,000
67 Tulane AAC Willie Fritz — — — $1,787,000 — —
68 Boise State MWC Bryan Harsin $1,850,000 $76,154 $1,773,846 $1,773,846 $247,500 $8,414,895
69 Tulsa AAC Philip Montgomery — — — $1,698,865 — —
70 UAB CUSA Bill Clark $1,500,000 $0 $1,500,000 $1,615,000 $0 $9,114,583
71 Wyoming MWC Craig Bohl $1,512,000 $0 $1,512,000 $1,512,000 $0 $5,025,000
72 Colorado State MWC Steve Addazio $1,500,000 $0 $1,500,000 $1,500,000 $0 $5,000,000
73 UNLV MWC Marcus Arroyo $1,500,000 $0 $1,500,000 $1,500,000 $0 $4,743,750
74 East Carolina AAC Mike Houston $1,505,000 $26,538 $1,478,462 $1,478,462 $26,538 $1,500,000
75 Southern Methodist AAC Sonny Dykes — — — $1,340,314 — —
76 Rice CUSA Mike Bloomgren — — — $1,332,308 — —
77 Fresno State MWC Kalen DeBoer $1,300,000 $0 $1,300,000 $1,300,000 $0 $5,807,833
78 Connecticut INDEP Randy Edsall $1,256,000 $0 $1,256,000 $1,256,000 $0 $0
79 Toledo MAC Jason Candle $1,175,000 $76,923 $1,098,077 $1,098,077 $76,923 $2,158,333
80 Florida International CUSA Butch Davis $1,041,863 $0 $1,041,863 $1,041,863 $0 $1,081,935
81 UL Lafayette S-Belt Billy Napier $1,005,000 $0 $1,005,000 $1,005,000 $0 $4,603,229
82 San Diego State MWC Brady Hoke $1,000,000 $0 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $0 $5,083,333
83 Middle Tennessee CUSA Rick Stockstill $901,504 $0 $901,504 $912,504 $0 $5,820,403
84 Utah State MWC Gary Andersen $900,000 $0 $900,000 $900,000 $0 $2,081,250
85 Charlotte CUSA Will Healy $855,000 $0 $855,000 $855,000 $0 $2,609,167
86 San Jose State MWC Brent Brennan $850,000 $0 $850,000 $850,000 $0 $3,511,111
87 Central Michigan MAC Jim McElwain $815,000 $6,000 $809,000 $809,000 $6,000 $2,000,000
88 Texas State S-Belt Jake Spavital $800,000 $0 $800,000 $802,000 $0 $1,196,712
89 Arkansas State S-Belt Blake Anderson $825,000 $37,500 $787,500 $787,857 $82,500 $1,541,667
90 Old Dominion CUSA Ricky Rahne $775,000 $0 $775,000 $775,000 $0 $2,296,875
91 Hawaii MWC Todd Graham $760,000 $0 $760,000 $760,000 $0 $1,735,417
92 Marshall CUSA Doc Holliday $762,570 $7,000 $755,570 $758,320 $7,000 $452,375
93 Appalachian State S-Belt Shawn Clark $750,000 $0 $750,000 $750,000 $0 $5,000,000
94 Florida Atlantic CUSA Willie Taggart $750,000 $0 $750,000 $750,000 $0 $2,225,000
95 Western Kentucky CUSA Tyson Helton $800,000 $53,333 $746,667 $746,667 $80,000 $900,000
96 Texas-San Antonio CUSA Jeff Traylor $800,000 $57,500 $742,500 $742,500 $141,500 $2,610,379
97 New Mexico MWC Danny Gonzales $725,000 $0 $725,000 $725,000 $0 $2,000,000
98 Texas El Paso CUSA Dana Dimel $711,999 $0 $711,999 $714,499 $0 $1,542,665
99 Western Michigan MAC Tim Lester $800,000 $100,000 $700,000 $709,700 $200,000 $500,000
100 Louisiana Tech CUSA Skip Holtz $700,000 $0 $700,000 $704,000 $0 $3,733,333
101 Georgia Southern S-Belt Chad Lunsford $680,000 $0 $680,000 $680,000 $0 $1,056,667
102 Troy S-Belt Chip Lindsey $675,000 $0 $675,000 $675,000 $0 $1,730,625
103 Massachusetts INDEP Walt Bell $660,000 $31,250 $628,750 $628,750 $62,500 $1,453,750
104 Nevada MWC Jay Norvell $625,000 $0 $625,000 $625,000 $0 $2,604,167
105 Buffalo MAC Lance Leipold $624,300 $0 $624,300 $624,300 $0 $1,936,725
106 South Alabama S-Belt Steve Campbell $617,400 $0 $617,400 $617,400 $0 $348,484
107 Georgia State S-Belt Shawn Elliott $604,800 $0 $604,800 $604,800 $0 $625,000
108 Northern Illinois MAC Thomas Hammock $620,204 $52,020 $568,184 $568,184 $52,020 $1,380,693
109 Ohio MAC Frank Solich $589,928 $29,497 $560,431 $561,431 $58,993 $604,676
110 Miami (Ohio) MAC Chuck Martin $550,000 $36,667 $513,333 $513,333 $55,000 $1,500,000
111 Southern Mississippi CUSA Jay Hopson $500,000 $0 $500,000 $501,000 $0 $583,333
112 Bowling Green MAC Scot Loeffler $530,000 $50,000 $480,000 $480,000 $100,000 $1,560,417
113 Eastern Michigan MAC Chris Creighton $480,000 $20,575 $459,425 $459,425 $41,150 $800,000
114 Akron MAC Tom Arth $500,000 $45,833 $454,167 $454,167 $100,000 $921,719
115 Ball State MAC Mike Neu $468,000 $25,167 $442,833 $447,833 $45,300 $984,018
116 Kent State MAC Sean Lewis $460,000 $26,833 $433,167 $433,167 $46,000 $750,000
117 New Mexico State INDEP Doug Martin $429,000 $0 $429,000 $430,000 $0 $303,875
118 UL Monroe S-Belt Matt Viator $390,000 $0 $390,000 $390,000 $0 $175,000
119 Coastal Carolina S-Belt Jamey Chadwell $375,000 $56,034 $318,966 $319,866 $56,034 $758,204
120 Boston College ACC Jeff Hafley — — — — — —
121 Miami ACC Manny Diaz — — — — — —
122 Penn State Big Ten James Franklin $6,700,000 — — — — —
123 Memphis AAC Ryan Silverfield $1,750,000 — — — — —
124 Air Force MWC Troy Calhoun — — — — — —
125 Liberty INDEP Hugh Freeze — — — — — —
126 Brigham Young INDEP Kalani Sitake — — — — — —
127 Temple AAC Rod Carey — — — — — —
128 Army INDEP Jeff Monken — — — — — —
129 Baylor Big 12 Dave Aranda — — — — — —
130 Purdue Big Ten Jeff Brohm $4,800,000 — — — —