Below please find a list of the Top Ten Highest Paid Head Football Coaches for 2013. Underneath each coach is the salary for the governor of the state in which the football program calls home. The top ten college coaches make between 22x to 46x more than than the states’ chief executives. In fact, three of the governors took a pay cut, two of the governors are not accepting a salary, and another chief executive has taken a 10% voluntary reduction.

Colleges and universities receive state and federal funding, and many of the football programs generate millions of dollarsin revenue. The value associated with what we pay our head football coaches – compared to what we pay our governors – speaks to priorities we as a nation value.

Governor Corbett (R), is the nation’s highest paid state chief executive. He has stated that he has not taken a COLA, and his take home pay is $175,000. However, the $187,246 figure is used to calculate his pension pay out. Recently, Penn Sate signed James Franklin to a six year $27 million contract that will pay him $4.5 million annually, or 25 times more than the Governor of Pennsylvania. Readers can draw their own conclusions about the value of public servants and the notion of “shared sacrifice.”

Up to 46 Times Higher than State Governors

Name State Total Pay
Coach Nick Saban vs. Gov. Robert Bentley (R) Alabama $5,545,852 vs. $119,950
Coach Mack Brown vs. Gov. Rick Perry Texas $5,453,750 vs. $150,000
Coach Bret Bielema vs. Gov. Beebe (D) Arkansas $5,158,863 vs. $86,890
Coach Butch Jones vs. Gov. Haslam (R) Tennessee $4,860,000 vs. $178,356
Coach Bob Stoops vs. Gov. Mary Fallin (R) Oklahoma $4,773,167 vs. $147,000
Coach Urban Meyer vs. Gov. John Kasich (R) Ohio $4,608,000 vs. $148,886
Coach Les Miles vs. Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) Louisiana $4,459,363 vs. $130,000
Coach Brady Hoke vs. Gov.  Rick Snyder (R) Michigan $4,154,000 vs. $159,300
Coach Kirk Ferentz vs. Gov. Terry Branstad (R) Iowa $3,985,000 vs. $130,000

Coach Charlie Strong vs. Gov. Steve Beshear (D)

 Kentucky

$3,738,500 vs. $153,970

 

Notes:

Governor Bentley is not accepting a salary until the unemployment rate in Alabama drops.

Coach Brown has been succeeded by Coach Charlie Strong. The University of Texas will pay Strong $5,000,000 in 2014.

As Lt. Governor, Mr Perry made the lowest lieutenant gubernatorial salary in America: $7,200.

Governor Beebe makes the second lowest salary among the nation’s governors.

Governor Haslam does not accept a salary.

As a Congresswoman, Rep. Fallin made $174,000.

As a congressman, Rep. Kasich made $174,000.

As a congressman, Rep. Jindal made $174,00.0.

Governor Snyder accepts $1 annually.

As Lt. Governor, Mr. Branstad made $103,212 but has proposed to raise the salaries of future governors.

Coach Strong, now with the University of Texas, has been succeeded by Coach Bobby Petrino.

The figure reflects the total amount Govern Beshear receives after a voluntary 10% reduction.

 

Photo by Lesley Looper
Sources: USA Today, The Congressional Research Office, Pew Charitable Trusts, The Book of the States, USA Today