Overview
- The newly released USA TODAY Sports database confirms nine head coaches are at $10 million or more in 2025, with Kirby Smart atop the list at $13,282,580.
- Buyouts have surged to unprecedented levels, led by Smart at about $105.1 million and Ohio State’s Ryan Day at $70.9 million, with Kalen DeBoer, Steve Sarkisian and Dabo Swinney each near $60 million.
- SEC programs account for five of the top 10 earners, and Big Ten schools also feature prominently in the highest salary and buyout tiers.
- Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer is No. 7 at $10,250,000 in total pay with a reported $60,843,750 buyout, while LSU’s Brian Kelly is at $10,175,000 and North Carolina’s Bill Belichick is at $10,100,000.
- USA TODAY calculates buyouts using a Dec. 1, 2025 hypothetical separation date and notes mitigation and payment timing provisions, with gaps in disclosures for some schools such as Northwestern and for private institutions using their latest available records.