Jim Harbaugh and the 25 Highest-Paid College Football Coaches in 2023

Jim Harbaugh has finally led the Michigan Wolverines to a national championship, and if he ends up staying after this season, he's going to be moving way up on the list of highest-paid coaches in college football.

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Coaching college football seems like the most stressful job on the planet. College coaches are tasked with, essentially, raising 100-plus young men flying through their college years. Every aspect of the job, from press conferences to behavior on the field, is scrutinized by everyone. If you're not performing well, it's not easy to hide, especially if you're one of the 25 highest-paid college football coaches.

When you're headed for the College Football Playoff, your body of work is met with questions like, "Is it good enough?" It's a day-in, day-out grind, and honestly, I understand why so few coaches find national championship-level success. Despite that diatribe in support of the NCAA's elite leaders, I'd happily eat the B.S. coming my way if I made the kind of money these college football coaches do.

Annually, USA Today publishes a database listing the salaries of all 133 FBS head football coaches. Based on this, we can figure out who is making the most to wear the headset on Saturdays.

It should be no surprise to see the No. 1 name resides in Tuscaloosa, as Alabama head coach Nick Saban has the rings to back up the pay. In fact, six of the top 10 salaries in the sport can be found in the SEC, where "it just means more" moolah. One thing to note here is that Mel Tucker is still on this list despite being fired by Michigan State this season.

As for Harbaugh, the Wolverines head coach didn't even make it into the top 10 this year. While there is nonstop speculation about Harbaugh returning to the NFL to coach, Michigan could try to offer a king's ransom to keep their head coach in Ann Arbor.

Despite the uncertainty of the ever-spinning coaching carousel, one thing is certain. It pays to coach college football.

25. Kyle Whittingham, Utah Utes

Salary: $6.3 million

24. Sam Pittman, Arkansas Razorbacks

Salary: $6.4 million

23. Bret Bielema, Illinois Illini 

Salary: $6.5 million

22. Hugh Freeze, Auburn Tigers

Salary: $6.5 million

21. Dan Lanning, Oregon Ducks

Salary: $6.6 million

20. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Hawkeyes

Salary: $7 million

19. Brent Venables, Oklahoma Sooners

Salary: $7.1 million

18. Billy Napier, Florida Gators

Salary: $7.3 million

17. Mike Norvell, Florida State Seminoles

Salary: $7.3 million

16. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State Cowboys

Salary: $7.6 million

15. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Badgers

Salary: $7.6 million

14. Mario Cristobal, Miami Hurricanes

Salary: $8 million (reported)

13. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines

Salary: $8.3 million

12. James Franklin, Penn State Nittany Lions

Salary: $8.5 million

11. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels

Salary: $9 million

10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee Volunteers

Salary: $9 million

9. Mark Stoops, Kentucky Wildcats

Salary: $9.01 million

8. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M Aggies

Salary: $9.1 million

7. Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers

Salary: $9.9 million

6. Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans

Salary: $10 million (estimated)

5. Mel Tucker, Michigan State Spartans

Salary: $10 million

4. Ryan Day, Ohio State Buckeyes

Salary: $10.3 million

3. Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs

Salary: $10.7 million

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers

Salary: $10.9 million

1. Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide

Salary: $11.4 million

MORE: The 5 Active College Football Head Coaches With National Titles