There needs to be a common standard for how much college football coaches get paid. The salaries these coaches are getting is just ridiculous. I’m not talking about Nick Saban, because in today’s coaching market, considering he’s won five national championships, he deserves that $10 million a year. Urban Meyer deserves his $6+ million a year, since he’s won three national championships. No, I’m talking about Willie Taggart, and I’d say Jimbo Fisher too. My main point though is Willie Taggart.
I’m upset he left Oregon for Florida State, but I also understand it, because that’s always been his dream job. What drives me mad though is how much Florida State is paying him. $30 million for six years. That’s $5 million a year. Sure, he’s done great rebuilding jobs at two mid majors, and took Oregon in his one season from four wins to seven wins. That’s the thing though, he’s only been at a Power Five school for one season, and went 7-5. Even at his two mid major schools, he never won a conference title. Florida State is paying a shit ton of money for a still unproven coach. Mike Leach once won 11 games at Texas Tech, tied for a division title, and has won 9 games at Wazzu while nearly winning the north division the last two seasons and he doesn’t get paid $5 million a year. Hell, Chris Peterson gets paid less than $5 million a year, and he’s won a conference title at UW, plus took Boise State to multiple NY6 games. So it’s just, Florida State is so stupid for paying that much for a coach who isn’t as proven as other coaches getting paid less.
Then there’s Jimbo Fisher, getting paid $75 million over 10 years at Texas A&M. $7.5 million a year. Yea, he’s won a national championship, but he’s only won one. Urban Meyer has won three, and he gets “only” $6 million a year. Sure, Jim Harbaugh gets paid more than Urban Meyer, but he won an Orange Bowl at Stanford and also took the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl, plus a few NFC Championship games. He won 10+ games his first two years at Michigan without a quarterback too, so yea.
I just think it’s stupid how some coaches can get paid more than others when they haven’t had the same level of success. There should be some uniform standard for coaching salaries, based on success. A market value if you will, but one that’s enforced, one where schools can’t pay more than a certain amount if a coach hasn’t attained said level of success. Obviously, I have such a proposal, and here it is!
A Group of Five (mid-major) coach should get $1 million a year
A Group of Five coach who’s won a conference title should get $1.5 million a year
A Group of Five coach who’s won a conference title AND got invited to a New Years Six game should get $2.5 million a year
A Power Five (big schools) coach should get $2 million a year
A Power Five coach who’s been to a bowl game should get $2.5 million a year
A Power Five coach who’s won their division/won 10 games before should get $3 million to $3.5 million a year
A Power Five coach who’s won their conference before or won a NY6 game as an at large team should get $4 million to $4.5 million a year
A Power Five coach who’s won their conference before AND won a New Years Six/Playoff game should get $5 million a year
A coach who’s been a head coach in the NFL should have $500k added onto their salary if they’ve been to the NFL playoffs. $1 million added on if they’ve won a playoff game. $1.5 million added on if they’ve been to an AFC/NFC Championship game. $2 million added on if they’ve been to the Super Bowl. $3 million added on if they’ve won a Super Bowl.
A Power Five coach who’s won the National Championship before should get $6 million a year, with their salary increasing by $1 million for each additional ‘Natty won. One Natty = $6 million per year. Two Natty’s = $7 million per year. Three Natty’s = $8 million per year. Four = $9 million. Five = $10 million. Just keeps going up, because honestly, if you get to six national championships *looks at Nick Saban* you’ll be the greatest college football coach of all time, and thus deserving to be paid like it.
If we went by this uniform standard, the more you’ve won, the more you get paid. If you’ve had less success than another coach, you get paid less than him. Under this system, here would be some coaching salaries..
Scott Frost – $2.5 million per year at Nebraska, instead of $5 million. Took a Group of Five school (UCF) to a NY6 game.
Willie Taggart – $2.5 million per year at Florida State, instead of $5 million. Took Oregon to a bowl game.
Chris Peterson – $4 million to $4.5 million per year at UW, instead of $4.9 million. Won a conference title at UW. Personally, I’d go with the $4.5 million high end figure, because he’s won 10 games again and had lots of success at Boise. He’s pretty good.
Mike Leach – $3 million to $3.5 million per year at Wazzu, instead of $2.95 million. Won a division title at Texas Tech. Again, I’d go with $3.5 million, because he’s winning at Texas Tech and Wazzu, two incredibly hard places to have success at.
Chip Kelly – $5.5 million per year at UCLA instead of $5 million. Won a conference title AND NY6 game at Oregon, took an NFL team to the playoffs.
Rich Rodriquez – $5 million per year at Arizona instead of $6 million. Won a conference title AND NY6 game at West Virginia. Has also won a division title at Arizona.
Jim Harbaugh – $6 million to $6.5 million per year at Michigan instead of $6.9 million, although with bonuses it comes out to nearly $9 million per year. Won a NY6 at Stanford, took an NFL team to the Super Bowl.
Jimbo Fisher – $6 million per year at Texas A&M instead of $7.5 million per year. Won one national championship at Florida State.
Dabo Swinney – $6 million per year at Clemson instead of $7.5 million. Won one national championship.
Urban Meyer – $8 million per year at Ohio State instead of $6 million. Has won three national championships.
Nick Saban – $10 million per year at Alabama instead of $11 million… Oh. Well, he’s won five national championships.
So yea, as the college football world is today, I’ve never really thought Nick Saban is getting paid too much. It’s Dabo and Jimbo who are getting overpaid while Urban Meyer is actually getting underpaid. Scott Frost and Willie Taggart are getting way overpaid too. The coaching market simply isn’t consistent, and so that’s why I think there needs to be some common salary standard based on measurable success.
adamkendall2 