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USA TODAY Sports released its annual database of all 136 FBS college football coach salaries and other contract details this week. The sport has grown into a massive cash cow for schools and that has trickled down to the staff as well.
The most pertinent data from this latest release for Gators Nation is the fiscal details behind Florida skipper Billy Napier’s contract and his standing among his fellow college football peers. According to the latest numbers, the fourth-year coach is among the top 25 highest-paid in the game, coming in at No. 24.
Napier’s total pay came out to $7,470,000, with the school footing $7,220,000 of that bill. Out of a maximum bonus of $1,600,000 based on performance, he only received $200,000, leaving $50,000 unaccounted for in the math.
His total buyout stands at $20,428,333 coming into the fall.
Top 25 College Football Head Coach Salaries
| Rk | Head Coach | School | Total Pay | Conf | School Pay | Max Bonus | Bonus Paid | Buyout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirby Smart | Georgia | $13,282,580 | SEC | $13,003,000 | $1,775,000 | $800,000 | $105,107,583 |
| 2 | Ryan Day | Ohio St | $12,575,000 | B1G | $12,500,000 | $1,550,000 | $1,050,000 | $70,916,667 |
| 3 | Lincoln Riley | USC | $11,537,560* | B1G | $11,537,560 | – | – | – |
| 4 | Dabo Swinney | Clemson | $11,447,025* | ACC | $11,258,575 | $1,500,000 | $500,000 | $60,000,000 |
| 5 | Steve Sarkisian | Texas | $10,800,000 | SEC | $10,800,000 | $1,850,000 | $900,000 | $60,307,500 |
| 6 | Dan Lanning | Oregon | $10,400,000 | B1G | $10,400,000 | $1,675,000 | $850,000 | $56,733,333 |
| 7 | Kalen DeBoer | Alabama | $10,250,000 | SEC | $10,250,000 | $1,175,000 | $100,000 | $60,843,750 |
| 8 | Brian Kelly | LSU | $10,175,000* | SEC | $10,175,000 | $1,325,000 | $550,000 | $53,293,333 |
| 9 | Bill Belichick | UNC | $10,100,000 | ACC | $10,100,000 | $3,350,000 | – | $20,833,333 |
| 10 | Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss | $9,000,000* | SEC | $9,000,000 | $2,600,000 | $650,000 | $36,600,000 |
| 11 | Eliah Drinkwitz | Missouri | $9,000,000 | SEC | $9,000,000 | $1,575,000 | $225,000 | $28,875,685 |
| 12 | Josh Heupel | Tennessee | $9,000,000 | SEC | $9,000,000 | $1,700,000 | $350,000 | $37,500,000 |
| 13 | Mark Stoops | Kentucky | $9,000,000 | SEC | $9,000,000 | $3,550,000 | $100,000 | $37,687,500 |
| 14 | Deion Sanders | Colorado | $8,975,000* | Big12 | $8,975,000 | $1,875,000 | $650,000 | $33,625,000 |
| 15 | Matt Rhule | Nebraska | $8,500,000* | B1G | $8,500,000 | $950,000 | $150,000 | $49,612,500 |
| 16 | James Franklin | Penn St | $8,500,000* | B1G | $8,500,000 | – | – | $48,666,667 |
| 17 | Mario Cristobal | Miami (FL) | $8,302,883 | ACC | $8,302,883 | – | – | – |
| 18 | Curt Cignetti | Indiana | $8,300,000* | B1G | $8,300,000 | $3,300,000 | $1,300,000 | $56,700,000 |
| 19 | Bret Bielema | Illinois | $8,200,000* | B1G | $8,200,000 | $1,600,000 | $350,000 | $49,491,667 |
| 20 | Shane Beamer | S. Carolina | $8,150,000 | SEC | $8,150,000 | $1,700,000 | $150,000 | $27,903,958 |
| 21 | Luke Fickell | Wisconsin | $7,825,000* | B1G | $7,825,000 | $1,450,000 | $0 | $27,493,333 |
| 22 | Jedd Fisch | Washington | $7,575,024 | B1G | $7,575,024 | $1,550,000 | $150,000 | $33,686,666 |
| 23 | Brent Venables | Oklahoma | $7,552,750 | SEC | $7,550,000 | $1,385,000 | $25,000 | $36,158,333 |
| 24 | Billy Napier | Florida | $7,470,000 | SEC | $7,220,000 | $1,600,000 | $200,000 | $20,428,333 |
| 25 | Kenny Dillingham | Arizona St | $7,442,000* | Big12 | $7,442,000 | $8,014,000 | $3,056,000 | $24,683,333 |
About the College Football Head Coach Salaries Database
The information below applies to the data obtained for the 2025 contract season (methodology behind these data).
Where the table does not display a number, it means the amount could not be obtained, or it is $0.
“Buyout Owed” figures are the amount a school would owe a coach if it fired him without cause on Dec. 1, 2025. Many of these amounts are expressly subject to the coach’s duty to make good-faith efforts to find another job, with income from that employment offsetting the amount owed.
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