Breaking down head coaching salaries in the Big 12
USA Today released its annual college football head coach salary database last week and, unsurprisingly, Alabama’s Nick Saban was at the top of the list with an annual compensation of $8.3 million per season. While there’s no doubt Saban is worth every penny, what about the rest of the list?
Today we break down the coaching salaries in the Big 12 and take a look back at their average finish in the AP Top 25 over the last five years as well as their average finish in the Rivals.com team rankings to see which programs are getting the most bang for their buck.
Note: Average numbers include the current AP rankings and all salary figures are according to USA Today.
Tom Herman – Texas, $5.5 million
Average AP Ranking (at Houston 2015-16): 25
Average Rivals.com Team Rankings Finish (At Houston 2015-16, Texas 2017-18): 41
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 9
After the Longhorns fell to Maryland to open the season, some began to question if Herman was the guy to turn things around in Austin. But the Horns are back inside the Top 25 and coming off a huge victory over rival Oklahoma. Herman and his staff are also doing a nice job of adding talent to the roster, with several young players making a big impact this season. Texas isn’t quite back yet, but Herman is off to a good start to his second year at the helm, and if the school can finish with another Top 10 class, he will continue to validate his hiring.
Mike Gundy – Oklahoma State, $5 million
Average AP Ranking: 24
Average Rivals.com Team Ranking: 36
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 47
Gundy has been a staple at his alma mater for years, regularly having the Cowboys in the Top 25 and in the mix for the Big 12 championship. Considering the school’s success under his watch, it’s not a surprise he ranks second in the conference in salary. This year, the Pokes are off to a 4-2 start, but have struggled to a 1-2 start in Big 12 play. If there’s one area that could help Gundy and the school get over the hump it could be on the recruiting trail, where the Cowboys regularly finish outside the Top 25 and are likely to do so again this year.
Gary Patterson – TCU, $4.8 million
Average AP Ranking: 18
Average Rivals.com Team Ranking: 35
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 28
Patterson has led TCU to unprecedented heights in his time leading the program, including back-to-back Top 10 finishes in 2014 and 2015. He’s also been a hot candidate every year, but he’s turned down overtures from several programs to remain in Fort Worth. During his time at the helm recruiting has also picked up, with the team regularly now around the Top 25 in the country. This year’s class is right in that range again, another sign that Patterson and his staff are willing to adapt in an effort to continue to improve.
Lincoln Riley – Oklahoma, $4.8 million
Average AP Ranking (2017-18): 7
Average Rivals.com Team Ranking (2018): 8
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 5
Just two years into his head coaching career, Riley is already one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation. But so far, he’s looking like a very good investment for the Sooners. Riley took over for Bob Stoops after he retired in the summer of 2017 and he promptly led the school to the College Football Playoff in his first year. This year, Oklahoma is back in the Top 15 and still in the mix for a conference championship. Things are also going very well on the recruiting trail, as the class is inside the Top Five, coming off a No. 8 ranking in 2018.
Kliff Kingsbury – Texas Tech, $3.7 million
Average AP Ranking: Unranked
Average Rivals.com Team Ranking: 49
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 42
Kingsbury returned to his alma mater with a bang, opening up with an 8-5 season and a Holiday Bowl victory in 2013. Unfortunately for fans of the program, that success hasn’t been sustained, with the next highlight being a 7-6 season in 2015. Down the stretch last season it looked like Kingsbury might be headed for the job market, but a late win over Texas sealed a bowl game and likely saved his job.
This year, the Red Raiders are 4-2 and 2-1 in the Big 12 after beating TCU on Thursday and look to be carrying some of the on-field success onto the recruiting trail, as the school is on pace to have its best recruiting class ranking since 2015.
Dana Holgorsen – West Virginia, $3.6 million
Average AP Ranking: Unranked
Average Rivals.com Team Ranking: 40
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 41
Holgorsen and West Virginia are in the midst of their best season since he arrived in Morgantown in 2011. He helped the program successfully navigate the move to the Big 12 and has taken the team to bowl games each of the last five seasons. If things keep progressing this year, it would be Holgorsen’s most successful yet, as the undefeated Mountaineers are in the mix for a conference championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. Holgorsen’s name was thrown around as a hot-seat candidate at times last year, but he looks to be secure at the leader of the program.
Bill Snyder – Kansas State, $3.5 million
Average AP Ranking: Unranked
Average Rivals.com Team Ranking: 57
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 92
Since coming out of retirement in 2009 to right the ship at the program he helped turn around, Snyder has had consistent success, including leading the Wildcats to a bowl game in every season since 2010. It’s a matter of when, not if, Snyder retires at this point, and there’s speculation this year could be his last ride at the helm of the program. Kansas State is off to a 2-4 start in 2018 and are in danger of missing a bowl for just the third time in Snyder’s last 23 seasons as coach. Things are also going slow on the recruiting trail, with the Wildcats barely inside the Top 100 a little more than two months away from the Early Signing Period.
Matt Campbell – Iowa State, $3.5 million
Average AP Ranking (Toledo 2014-15, Iowa State 2016-18): Unranked
Average Rivals.com Team Ranking (Toledo 2014-15, Iowa State 2016-18): 66
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 34
Campbell was a hot name on the coaching market after helping the Cyclones win eight games in 2017, and he earned a contract extension that put him in Top 40 nationally. The success on the field has also led to success in recruiting, with Iowa State on track to have its best recruiting ranking in years. The Cyclones got off to a slow start this year, but are still alive for a bowl berth, which would be Campbell’s sixth in the last eight years.
David Beaty – Kansas, $1.7 million
Average AP Ranking (2015-18): Unranked
Average Rivals.com Team Ranking (2015-18): 66
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 99
Beaty was put in the unenviable situation of turning the Jayhawks around, a job that several have tried and failed at over the years. He’s on track to have his best season yet in 2018, with the team’s two wins matching the best season Beaty has had at the school since taking over in 2015. Kansas has also improved on the recruiting trail each of the past three seasons, headlined by a No. 48-ranked class in 2018. It remains to be seen if Beaty gets another year to continue the rebuild, but the team is showing signs of improvement this season.
Matt Rhule – Baylor, salary unlisted
Average AP Ranking (Temple 2014-16, Baylor 2017-18): Unranked
Average Rivals.com Team Ranking (Temple 2014-16, Baylor 2017-18): 51
Current Rivals.com Team Ranking: 28
Rhule took on quite the challenge when he left Temple for Baylor, especially in the wake of the sexual assault scandal that is still hanging over the program. Rhule was also reportedly a candidate for NFL jobs, but he elected to stay in Waco to continue the program rebuild. The Bears are 4-2 in 2018, coming off a 1-11 season. The improvement on the field is notable, as is the improvement in recruiting, where the Bears are poised to finish near the Top 25.
