On Thursday, USA TODAY Sports released their head coach salary database.
While it comes as no surprise that Alabama head coach Nick Saban will be the highest paid this season, where a few other names are slated may catch your attention.
This type of database is particularly interesting for fans of college football programs that are on the verge of parting ways with their head coach, as it shows the buyout number for the majority of coaches on the list.
The No. 2 highest paid coach this season is LSU’s Ed Orgeron, who the school will likely be parting ways with in the near future. His buyout is listed at $17.15 million.
In regards to the Big 12, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley is expected to receive the highest salary in the conference of 7.8 million, the fifth-highest number in the country.
TCU’s Gary Patterson has a scheduled pay of $6.1 million this season, while Texas’ Steve Sarkisian lands at No. 3 in the Big 12 with $5.4 million, enough for No. 14 in the country. The current buyout of Sarkisian’s contract as of Dec. 1, 2021 is $20.6 million.
As it stands now, the Longhorns are in a good spot with Sarkisian. He’s notably changed the culture in just his first season on the Forty Acres, and the future of the program appears to be headed in the right direction.
Sarkisian will likely rise up this list before long.
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