Overview
- Industry data show schools owe about $228 million to 15 fired head coaches in 2025, nearly $100 million more than any previous season.
- Brian Kelly leads reported payouts at roughly $54 million, with Mark Stoops at $38 million, Jonathan Smith at $33.5 million, and James Franklin reduced to $9 million after taking the Virginia Tech job.
- Five SEC firings account for approximately $136.1 million in obligations, underscoring the conference’s concentration of high-cost separations.
- Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss midseason for LSU on a reported seven-year, $90 million deal at $13 million per year that guarantees 80% of remaining salary if he is fired without cause.
- Buyouts are typically triggered by “without cause” dismissals, and administrators and observers are questioning the ethics and fiscal sustainability of contracts that heavily protect coaches.