Top 5 highest-paid college football coaches in 2021
College football coaches are notorious for their outrageously pricey contracts. Winning football games and recruiting well at the collegiate level is one way to earn a ton of money, it appears.
That being said, the college football system can be just as ruthless. One bad season as the head coach of a football powerhouse and you're already in the hot seat. Being one of the highest-paid college football coaches is a high-risk, high-reward type of situation.
The compensation numbers for college coaches around the NCAA have changed a bit since the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of colleges were forced to cut budgets, which often meant the football coach taking a salary cut as well.
Even so, the salary numbers for college football's top coaches will still blow your mind.
Five highest-paid college football coaches in 2021
#1 - Nick Saban, $8.4 million
There's no one more deserving of being the highest-paid college football coach than Nick Saban. In 14 seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Saban has won six national championships, a spectacular record.
The most impressive thing about Saban is that he shows no signs of slowing down. Alabama once again has a top recruiting class and they'll once again be the favorites to win the SEC. Not only that, but the Crimson Tide will be a top contender for the NCCA Championship.
Saban just never stops winning.
#2 - Dabo Swinney, $8.25 million
If it weren't for Alabama and Saban, the Clemson Tigers, led by Dabo Swinney, would be the football powerhouse we're always talking about.
In his 13-season run as Clemson's head football coach, Swinney is 140-33. That's good for a .809 win percentage. He also has two national championships to his name.
Like Saban, Swinney also crushes it on the recruiting trail. The Tigers are constantly reloading instead of rebuilding. Despite losing superstar quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Clemson is still the favorite to win the ACC. Clemson will also be a College Football Playoff contender.
#3 - Lincoln Riley, $8.05 million
Like Saban and Swinney, Lincoln Riley has consistently won a lot of games while losing very few. Riley's career record as the Oklahoma Sooners head coach is 45-8. Albeit a much smaller sample size, Riley's .849 winning percentage is better than Saban's and Swinney's.
Unlike Saban and Swinney, though, Riley has failed to win big games with his program. Riley has yet to make it to a National Championship game, let alone win one.
Riley and the Sooners will once again be looking to get over the hump in 2021. Oklahoma is favored to win the Big 12, assuming they stick around in the conference, and they're also a team considered to be in play for a College Football Playoff spot.
#4 - Dan Mullen, $7.6 million
Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen just recently received a contract extension that pushed him into the top five of the highest-paid college coaches list.
The extension was well deserved. In three seasons with the Gators, Mullen has a 29-9 record. He led Florida to a Peach Bowl victory in 2018, an Orange Bowl victory in 2019, and a Cotton Bowl appearance in 2020.
In each of his three seasons with Florida, the Gators have finished the year in the top 15 of the final AP Poll. Mullen has built a consistent winner.
The next step for Mullen and the Gator program is entering the College Football Playoff conversation. With the trajectory Mullen has them on, Florida will be in the playoff in no time.
#5 - Jimbo Fisher, $7.5 million
The Texas A&M Aggies splurged, shall we say, on Jimbo Fisher in 2017. Under Fisher, the Aggies have gone 26-10. In all three seasons, Texas A&M finished with a bowl game victory. Last season, the Aggies very nearly made it to the College Football Playoff.
Since being hired by Texas A&M, Fisher has been exceptional on the recruiting trail. Recruiting has always been one of Fisher's strengths and there's ample evidence that he's among the best in the business.
The Aggies' 2021 roster is loaded with talent. The SEC is a tough conference, but Fisher has built a team ready to compete with the elite programs.