It just pays more: seven of college football’s ten highest-paid coaches reside in the Southeastern Conference.

Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart has won back-to-back national championships, but he is not college football’s highest-paid coach for 2023. Smart does have the highest buyout of any college football coach by over $15 million. We don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

Five college coaches received over $10 million in compensation for 2023. All income, buyout, and bonus compensation data is courtesy of USA TODAY Sports.

Who are college football’s 10 highest paid head coaches for the 2023 season (public institutions only)? Where does Georgia football’s Kirby Smart rank?

10

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

  • Total pay: $9,000,000
  • School buyout: N/A
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $450,000

9

Josh Heupel, Tennessee

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

  • Total pay: $9,000,000
  • School buyout: $46,500,000
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $400,000

Vols Wire

8

Mark Stoops, Kentucky

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

  • Total pay: $9,013,600
  • School buyout: $51,187,500
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $150,000

7

Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

  • Total pay: $9,150,000
  • School buyout: $77,562,500
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $0

Aggies Wire

6

Brian Kelly, LSU

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

  • Total pay: $9,975,000
  • School buyout: $70,018,333
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $575,000

LSU Wire

5

Mel Tucker, Michigan State

Detroit Free Press

  • Total pay: $10,015,350
  • School buyout: N/A
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $0

Spartans Wire

4

Ryan Day, Ohio State

Doral Chenoweth-The Columbus Dispatch

  • Total pay: $10,196,250
  • School buyout: $46,222,292
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $250,000

Buckeyes Wire

3

Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

  • Total pay: $10,505,600
  • School buyout: $92,625,000
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $1,350,000

2

Dabo Swinney, Clemson

The Greenville News

  • Total pay: $10,884,775
  • School buyout: $64,000,000
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $500,000

Clemson Wire

1

Nick Saban, Alabama

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

  • Total pay: $11,107,000
  • School buyout: $44,800,000
  • 2022-2023 bonuses paid: $300,000

All salary data is per USA TODAY Sports. Not included in the data are private institutions like USC, Notre Dame, and Northwestern.

Roll Tide Wire

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