USA Today has conducted its annual study of salaries in college football, including head coaches and assistant coaches.
Once again, Alabama’s Nick Saban was the SEC’s highest paid coach, earning $4,833,333 this season, according to USA Today.
Saban was second nationally to Texas’ Mack Brown, who made $5.19 million.
According to USA Today’s research, of the 10 highest paid head coaches in the country (at public institutions), six were from the SEC.
LSU’s Les Miles was fourth at $3,856,417. Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino was sixth at $3,638,000, while Auburn’s Gene Chizik was seventh at $3,500,000, Florida’s Will Muschamp ninth at $3,221,000 and Georgia’s Mark Richt 10th at $2,939,800.
Auburn’s nine assistant coaches earned $4.2 million this season, making the Tigers the highest paid staff in college football.
Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who’s leaving to take the head-coaching job at Arkansas State, was the country’s highest paid assistant at $1.3 million.
There were six $3 million staffs in college football this season, and the SEC had five of them. In addition to Auburn, LSU paid its assistants $3,782,869, followed by Alabama at $3,686,350, Tennessee at $3,200,800 and Florida at $3,120,500.
Seven of LSU’s nine assistant coaches made more than $300,000 this season, including three who made more than $500,000.
Obviously, not everybody in the SEC could afford to pay that kind of cash. At Mississippi State, defensive coordinator Chris Wilson was the highest paid assistant at $300,000.
Even at South Carolina, five of the Gamecocks’ nine assistants made less than $200,000.
Here’s a look at what the SEC head coaches made this season. Vanderbilt is a private institution and doesn’t release its salary figures:
Alabama’s Nick Saban – $4,833,333
LSU’s Les Miles – $3,856,417
Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino – $3,638,000
Auburn’s Gene Chizik – $3,500,000
Florida’s Will Muschamp – $3,221,000
Georgia’s Mark Richt – $2,939,800
South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier – $2,828,000
Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt – $2,771,750
Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen – $2,500,000
Tennessee’s Derek Dooley – $2,330,591
Kentucky’s Joker Phillips – $1,702,489
Vanderbilt’s James Franklin – N/A
Here's a look at what each SEC school paid its staff in 2011, including the head coaches:
Alabama -- $8.5 million
Auburn -- $7.6 million
LSU -- $7.6 million
Florida -- $6.3 million
Arkansas -- $5.9 million
Georgia -- $5.6 million
Tennessee -- $5.5 million
Ole Miss -- $5.2 million
South Carolina -- $5.2 million
Mississippi State -- $4.5 million
Kentucky -- $3.9 million
Vanderbilt -- N/A
Here's a look at the 10 highest paid assistant coaches in the SEC this season. Four of the 10 (Malzahn, Weis, Johnson and McElwain) recently took head coaching jobs at other schools:
Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn – $1,309,600
Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis – $875,000
Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart – $851,500
Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham – $755,900
LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis – $708,000
South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson – $705,180
LSU quarterbacks coach Steve Kragthorpe – $700,000
Tennessee defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox – $625,000
Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney – $525,000
Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain – $516,000