College football's 30 highest-paid coaches in 2026, from Lane Kiffin to Deion Sanders

College football's 30 highest-paid coaches in 2026, from Lane Kiffin to Deion Sanders originally appeared on The Sporting News .

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Players aren't the only ones in college football raking in millions nowadays.

A lot of responsibility falls on a head coach in 2026, from the usual duties of creating a playbook, leading practices and speaking with media, to newer elements like utilizing NIL dollars, landing talent in the transfer portal and navigating the sport's increasingly-complicated legal situations.

All those jobs-within-one means that the best-of-the-best coaches can make eight-digit salaries. In the 2026 season, three coaches are reportedly making over $13 million.

Here's a look at college football's 30 highest-paid coaches in 2026, using figures from On3's Coaching Salaries Database.

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1. Kirby Smart, Georgia

2026 salary: $13.3 million

College football's highest-paid coach has been the same person for a few years now: Georgia's Kirby Smart. In 2024, he signed a 10-year, $130 million deal that made him the first coach to earn at least $13 million per year.

Smart, who led the Bulldogs to consecutive national titles in 2021 and 2022, is set to remain on the sidelines for Georgia through the 2033 season.

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2. Curt Cignetti, Indiana

2026 salary: $13 million

There has been no coach more successful over the past two years than Curt Cignetti, and now, he's paid as such. Indiana's leader has agreed to multiple new deals with the school in recent years, most recently revising his contract to average $13.2 million through the 2033 season.

Cignetti, after leading the Hoosiers to their first CFP title and a perfect season, received a pay boost from around $11.6 million annually thanks to his team's incredible run.

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3. Lane Kiffin, LSU

2026 salary: $13 million

There was no storyline more dramatic at the end of the 2025 college football season than Lane Kiffin's departure for LSU. Not only did Kiffin leave his playoff-bound Ole Miss team early, but he was paid handsomely to do so, landing a seven-year, $91 million deal that runs through the 2032 season.

Kiffin has earned a reputation as a big spender in the transfer portal. Now, not only will he have deep pockets to pursue stars with the Tigers, but he'll be making plenty of money himself.

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4. Ryan Day, Ohio State

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

2026 salary: $12.6 million

After Ohio State won the national title in January 2025, it rewarded its head coach, Ryan Day, with a new deal. Day's new contract puts him among the sport's highest-paid coaches, making an average of $12.5 million per year through the 2031 season.

Day has helped the Buckeyes remain one of the premier destinations in college football, and he's set to remain in Columbus for years to come.

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5. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

2026 salary: $12.5 million

Following in the footsteps of Nick Saban wasn't exactly easy, but Kalen DeBoer has kept Alabama toward the top of the SEC since taking over in 2024. With rumors of teams pursuing him in the 2026 coaching cycle, he received a new contract this past offseason.

DeBoer agreed to a seven-year, $87.5 million contract extension with the Crimson Tide, running through the 2033 season and paying him an average salary of $12.5 million per year.

6. Lincoln Riley, USC

(Getty Images)

2026 salary: $11.5 million

In the modern college football landscape, most coaches demand extensions every few years to increase their financial worth with the threat of skipping town. Lincoln Riley hasn't done that, however, since agreeing to his massive 2022 deal with USC after leaving Oklahoma.

That year, Riley immediately became one of college football's highest-paid head coaches, agreeing to a 10-year deal worth $110 million. His average annual salary reportedly sits around $11.8 million.

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7. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

2026 salary: $11.4 million

Ahead of the 2022 season, one of college football's longest-tenured head coaches agreed to stick around at Clemson through 2031. Dabo Swinney landed a $115 million extension, making him still the highest-paid ACC coach as of 2026.

Swinney, who has coached the Tigers since 2009, has led the team to two national titles and is seeking a return to the CFP in 2026.

8. Steve Sarkisian, Texas

Imagn Images

2026 salary: $11.1 million

Texas upped Steve Sarkisian's salary after the 2025 season. He was bumped up to an average salary of $10.8 million annually, with built-in raises taking that total up to $12.3 million by the final season in 2031.

While the Longhorns were the only team to make the CFP in each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, they fell short in 2025, something Sarkisian will be looking to bounce back from this year.

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9. Mike Elko, Texas A&M

2026 salary: $10.8 million

It's no secret that Texas Tech is one of college football's biggest spenders, up there with Oregon and LSU among the schools most committed to financial success in the sport. Mike Elko agreed to a new extension this past offseason, the latest part of that financial commitment.

Elko's new six-year, $69 million extension runs through the 2031 season, paying an average salary of $11.5 million, along with performance incentives.

10. Dan Lanning, Oregon

2026 salary: $10.4 million

He doesn't yet have the national title to prove it, but Dan Lanning has quickly earned a reputation as one of...

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