College basketball coaches don’t deal with nearly the scrutiny college football coaches face. Basketball teams can reload and turn around in a season. Football takes time on the other hand. Sometimes a lot of time. I personally can’t relate as a Nebraska fan.
A deep run in the NCAA Tournament can elevate a coaching resume for consideration at a top program. That’s where the big bucks are made. Blue bloods like the Duke Blue Devils, Kansas Jayhawks, Michigan State Spartans and Kentucky Wildcats pay top dollar for some of the best minds in basketball. They also serve as the CEO of their school’s brand.
USA Today publishes a database dedicated to salaries, bonuses and buyouts. Thanks to them, here are the 25 highest-paid men’s basketball coaches for the 2021-22 season, including their salary and their record at their current school as of March 15, 2022. And yes, this list includes some coaches who have left their post, but if they coached a game this season, they’re eligible for inclusion.
Among the conferences the SEC has five, the Big 12 has five, the Big Ten has six, the ACC has four, the Pac-12 has three and the Big East has two.
Missing the top 25 are notable names such as South Carolina‘s Frank Martin, Arizona‘s Tommy Lloyd, Oklahoma‘s Porter Moser, Alabama‘s Nate Oats, Purdue’s Matt Painter, Florida‘s Mike White, Indiana‘s Mike Woodson, Ohio State‘s Chris Holtmann, Georgia‘s Tom Crean, North Carolina‘s Hubert Davis, Utah’s Craig Smith, Missouri‘s Cuonzo Martin, Texas Tech‘s Mark Adams and Clemson‘s Brad Brownell.
Highest-Paid College Basketball Coaches 2021-22
25. Chris Collins, Northwestern
Total Pay: $3.262 million
Record: 133-150
24. Mark Turgeon, Maryland
Total Pay: $3.316 million
Record: 226-116
23. Andy Enfield, USC
Total pay: $3.354 million
Record: 183-117
22. Ed Cooley, Providence
Total Pay: $3.451 million
Record: 219-140
21. Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
Total Pay: $3.5 million
Record: 24-67
20. Brad Underwood, Illinois
Total Pay: $3.5 million
Record: 93-65
19. Juwan Howard, Michigan
Total Pay: $3.5 million
Record: 59-31
18. Scott Drew, Baylor
Total Pay: $3.51 million
Record: 398-221
17. Jeff Capel, Pittsburgh
Total Pay: $3.53 million
Record: 51-69
16. Tony Bennett, Virginia
Total Pay: $3.65 million
Record: 314-116
15. Mick Cronin, UCLA
Total Pay: $3.7 million
Record: 66-29
14. Dana Altman, Oregon
Total Pay: $3.76 million
Record: 299-124
13. Bruce Pearl, Auburn
Total Pay: $3.825 million
Record: 165-97
12. Buzz Williams, Texas A&M
Total Pay: $4 million
Record: 47-36
11. Eric Musselman, Arkansas
Total Pay: $4 million
Record: 70-27
10. Bob Huggins, West Virginia
Total Pay: $4.15 million
Record: 326-188
9. Jamie Dixon, TCU
Total Pay: $4.348 million
Record: 116-83
8. Chris Mack, Louisville
Total Pay: $4.352 million
Record: 39-26
7. Rick Barnes, Tennessee
Total Pay: $5.2 million
Record: 149-80
6. Chris Beard, Texas
Total Pay: $5.255 million
Record: 21-11
5. Jay Wright, Villanova
Total Pay: $6.192 million
Record: 516-196
4. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
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Total Pay: $7.353 million
Record: 1,125-308
3. Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Total Pay: $8.341 million
Record: 655-266
2. John Calipari, Kentucky
Total Pay: $8.602 million
Record: 365-100
1. Bill Self, Kansas
Total Pay: $10.184 million
Record: 550-124
