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 | — | — | — | — |