College Football Coaches Salaries: Pay Cuts
Last Updated on September 19, 2020
Athletic departments across the country have been furloughing and laying off employees and implementing pay cuts. However, because college football coaches salaries are protected by their contracts, they must agree to any pay cut. Many head football coaches salaries have been reduced, and we’re tracking them below.
| Coach | School | % Reduction | Notes |
| Kevin Sumlin | Arizona | 20% | For one year |
| Sam Pittman | Arkansas | 10% | With no bonuses and deferred to a later date |
| Scot Loeffler | Bowling Green | 20% | |
| Justin Wilcox | California | Undisclosed | |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson | 13% | Swinney took a 10% pay cut in August 2020; In September, agreed to forego $1M retention payment in January 2021 and raise due at same time, which represents 13% of what he was due in 2021 |
| Karl Dorrell | Colorado | 10% | |
| David Cutcliffe | Duke | 10% | |
| Mike Norvell | Florida State | 25% | |
| Geoff Collins | Georgia Tech | 6% | 16 unpaid days off |
| Lovie Smith | Illinois | 10 | For 6 months |
| Tom Allen | Indiana | 10% | Donated 10% of salary back to athletic department |
| Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | 15% | |
| Matt Campbell | Iowa State | 10% | With no bonus |
| Les Miles | Kansas | 10% | |
| Chris Klieman | Kansas State | 13% | |
| Scott Satterfield | Louisville | 10% | |
| Manny Diaz | Miami | 10% | |
| Jim Harbaugh | Michigan | 10% | For one year |
| Mel Tucker | Michigan State | 7% | |
| P.J. Fleck | Minnesota | 10% | |
| Eliah Drinkwitz | Missouri | 10% | |
| Scott Frost | Nebraska | Undisclosed | Donated portion of salary back to athletic department |
| Mack Brown | North Carolina | 10% | |
| Pat Fitzgerald | Northwestern | 10% | |
| Brian Kelly | Notre Dame | Undisclosed | |
| Lincoln Riley | Oklahoma | 10% | For one year |
| Mike Gundy | Oklahoma State | 19% | Self-imposed |
| Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss | Undisclosed | |
| Mario Cristobal | Oregon | 10% | |
| Jonathan Smith | Oregon State | 7% | |
| James Franklin | Penn State | 10% | |
| Jeff Brohm | Purdue | 20% | Also no bonus |
| Greg Schiano | Rutgers | 10% | For 4 months |
| Will Muschamp | South Carolina | 10% | For one year and will not recoup the reduced salary with any type of back-end compensation |
| David Shaw | Stanford | Undisclosed | |
| Dino Babers | Syracuse | 10% | |
| Gary Patterson | TCU | 10% | Indefinite |
| Tom Herman | Texas | 15% | |
| Matt Wells | Texas Tech | 14% | |
| Clay Helton | USC | Undisclosed | Combined $1 million cut with basketball coach and AD |
| Kyle Whittingham | Utah | Undisclosed | |
| Bronco Mendenhall | Virginia | 10% | |
| Dave Clawson | Wake Forest | 10% | |
| Jimmy Lake | Washington | 5% | |
| Nick Rolovich | Washington State | 5% | Also no bonus |
| Neal Brown | West Virginia | 10% | |
| Paul Chryst | Wisconsin | 15% | Cut for 6 months |
