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Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders became the latest college football head coach to join the $10 million or greater annual salary club when Colorado gave him a huge raise Friday. On the heels of an 9-4 season where the Buffaloes flirted with a Big 12 Championship Game berth, and potential College Football Playoff spot, the Buffaloes have rewarded Sanders accordingly as they look to continue momentum in the 2025 season and beyond.
Sanders was the 38th highest-paid coach last season, making $5.7 million annually, but now he jumps into the top 10 following his second season at Colorado. The new five-year deal will pay him $10 million in 2025 and will rise up to $12 million in 2029.
Where does Coach Prime now rank amongst college football's highest-paid coaches? Here are the top 10 based on a mix of reports, publicly available contracts and USA Today's very helpful coaching salary database.
10) Brian Kelly, LSU -- $9.9 million
LSU AD Scott Woodward wanted a big fish to replace Ed Orgeron and spent big to hire Notre Dame's Brian Kelly. Entering a critical Year 4, Kelly has a 29-11 record and a SEC West divisional title in three seasons in Baton Rouge.
T-8) Bill Belichick, North Carolina and Deion Sanders, Colorado -- $10 million
North Carolina pulled off a stunner when it hired legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick to come to the college ranks. Belichick, who has never coached college football before, won eight Super Bowls in the NFL (six as a head coach, two as an assistant).
There were open questions about whether Sanders would stay at Colorado after his son Shedeur and star player Travis Hunter left for the NFL, but the school made a major commitment to keep him in Boulder. Sanders has had a huge impact on the university, on and off the field, and a true phenomenon within college football.
7) Kalen DeBoer, Alabama -- $10.25 million
Alabama paid big to lure Kalen DeBoer away from Washington off a national championship runner-up finish to replace Nick Saban. DeBoer went 9-4 in his first season in Tuscaloosa.
6) Lincoln Riley, USC -- $10.1 million
Like Brian Kelly, Lincoln Riley enters a critical fourth year as the results through three years haven't matched the investment. Riley developed a Heisman Trophy winner (Caleb Williams), but more than a 26-14 record was expected when the Trojans hired him away from Oklahoma.
5) Steve Sarkisian, Texas -- $10.8 million
For the second year in a row, a strong season plus an attractive open job helped Steve Sarkisian get a raise. A year ago it was Alabama, while this year it was multiple NFL openings including the local Dallas Cowboys. Sarkisian has made back-to-back playoff semifinals and enters 2025 with huge expectations.
4) Dan Lanning, Oregon -- $11 million
Oregon gave the 38-year-old Lanning a more than $2 million annual raise after a season that included a Big Ten championship and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Lanning is recruiting at a very high level and looks to have a program that should be a national contender for years to come.
3) Dabo Swinney, Clemson – $11.5 million
Clemson gave Swinney a massive 10-year contract in 2022 that made him the second-highest paid coach in the game behind only then-Alabama coach Nick Saban. He's since slipped to No. 3 but is the highest-paid coach in the ACC after winning two national championships at Clemson.
2) Ryan Day, Ohio State– $12.5 million
Ohio State rewarded Day in a major way after he won the most recent national championship, giving him a raise of nearly $2.5 million from last season's salary. Day faced a lot of criticism last season, especially after a home loss to Michigan, but the end result justified the school's faith in him.
1) Kirby Smart, Georgia – $13.2 million
The Georgia coach became the top dog after Georgia gave him a 10-year, $130 million deal last year. Smart has won two national championships, has a 105-19 record over nine seasons and has won three SEC championships. He's been worth every penny for the Bulldogs.
