With college football’s regular season complete and schools’ bowl assignments set, head coaches at Bowl Subdivision public schools have qualified for more than $10.8 million in bonuses, a USA TODAY Sports analysis shows.
More will be on the way, as remaining coaching honors are announced and postseason games determine additional payouts for bowl wins, the College Football Playoff championship and final national rankings.
There also is the possibility of bowl-game outcomes resulting in more coaches qualifying for automatic contract extensions. So far, eight coaches have reached such benchmarks, resulting in roughly $21 million in school commitments for later years.
Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh again will lead the nation in bonus payments, having already picked up $2.05 million – a total that will grow by $500,000 if the Wolverines (13-0) win the CFP national title and/or by $75,000 he wins one of six national coach of the year awards. His total so far means he will end this season with more than $10 million in overall compensation from the school.
Last season, Harbaugh racked up $2.225 million in bonuses, including money for team academic achievement. He redirected more than $1.5 million of that to Michigan athletics department employees who had taken pandemic-related pay cuts during an 11-month stretch of 2020 and 2021 and had remained on the payroll.
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Georgia‘s Kirby Smart also could end this season with a seven-figure total on top of his $10.25 million in basic annual pay from the school.
Smart has $800,000 so far, and he’ll add $250,000 if the Bulldogs (13-0) advance to the CFP championship game and another $250,000 if they win it. He, too, could get additional money from coaching awards.
The next-highest totals so far belong to Utah’s Kyle Whittingham ($650,000), LSU’s Brian Kelly ($575,000) and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney ($400,000).
USA TODAY Sports will continue tracking the amounts head coaches are scheduled to receive and for what achievements. The information is based on contracts obtained from the schools through open-records requests.
The list is alphabetical, by school, and shows amounts coaches achieved prior to leaving for other positions or being fired. In either of those cases, the amounts still may be owed to the coach.
It does not include bonuses and/or pay increases for assistant coaches, staff and athletics directors that also may be resulting from these achievements. It also does not include bonuses for team academic achievements.
►$65,000: Sixth win, eligible for bowl game not among with the six connected to the College Football Playoff
►$25,000: 8-2 record (5-2 in conference play) assures that team will be playing in one of Southeastern Conference’s Pool of Six bowl games
►$110,000: Will play in CFP non-semifinal game
►$20,000: Competitive scheduling – played guarantee game at home stadium of Power 5 Conference opponent (Texas A&M)
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Will play in Southeastern Conference Pool of Six bowl game (Liberty)
►$15,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$10,000: Sixth win in Mountain West Conference play
►$10,000: Seventh win in Mountain West play
►$25,000: Win at least share of Mountain West division title, will play in MWC title game
►$10,000: Eighth win in Mountain West play
►$25,000: Mountain West coach of the year
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Win over Stanford
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Will play in American Athletic Conference title game
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$75,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with least eight wins
►$50,000: Win Atlantic Coast Conference division title, will play in conference title game
►$200,000: Win ACC title game
►$75,000: Will play in CFP non-semifinal by winning ACC title game
►$150,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$200,000: Win at least share of Sun Belt Conference division title, will play in conference title game
►$25,000: Sixth win
►$50,000: Will play in non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$15,000: Victory over Power 5 opponent (Arizona State)
►One-year contract extension; $10,000 raise, beginning next season; $25,000 bonus this season: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game (If team plays in bowl game, agreement set to run through Dec. 31, 2027. Scheduled total pay for that season would be at least $610,000.)
►$10,000: Seventh regular season win
►$2,500: Eighth regular season win
►$15,000: Tie for Mid-American Conference division title, but not advancing to MAC title game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Win Mountain West Conference division title, will play in conference title game
►$40,000: Seventh regular season win
►$20,000: Eighth regular season win
►$25,000: Win Mountain West title game
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: 8-0 record assures that team will be playing in one of SEC’s top seven non-CFP bowl games
►$100,000: Win at least share of SEC division title, will play in conference title game
►$100,000: 12-0 record assures that team will be playing in one of six games affiliated with the College Football Playoff
►$200,000: Win SEC title game
►$325,000: Will play in CFP semifinals
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$10,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$10,000: First Sun Belt Conference win in school history
►$20,000: Sixth win
►$25,000: Seventh win against FBS opponents
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension: Seventh win (Agreement now set to run through Dec. 31, 2028. Scheduled total pay for that season is $4.3 million, with nearly all of that amount guaranteed.)
►$75,000: Finish second or tied for second in Big 12 Conference
►$25,000: Win Big 12 title game
►$50,000: Play in CFP non-semifinal game by winning Big 12 title game
►100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$500,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$75,000: Win at least share of SEC division title, will play in conference title game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Seventh regular season win
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension, and $100,000 bonus this season: Seventh win (Agreement now set to run through Dec. 31, 2027. Scheduled total pay for that season would be $4.5 million, with $2.925 million guaranteed.)
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$23,335: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$500,000: Win Big Ten Conference division title, will play in conference title game
►$50,000: Big Ten coach of the year (coaches’ vote)
►$1,000,000: Win Big Ten title game
►$500,000: Will play in CFP semifinals
►$68,475: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension: Seventh win, which assures that team will finish with winning overall record (Agreement now set to run through Dec. 31, 2029. Scheduled total pay for that season would be just over $900,000, with just over $820,000 guaranteed.)
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Eighth regular season win
►$100,000: Regular season win over non-conference Power 5 team (Georgia Tech)
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension: Seventh win (Agreement set to run through Dec. 31, 2026. According to a recent term sheet from the university, Kiffin’s annual pay for the 2026 contract year is scheduled to be at least $7.55 million, beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The guaranteed value of the additional year is not available because that is determined, in part, by an agreement with the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation, a private, non-profit organization that declines to provide that agreement.)
►$50,000: Will play in Southeastern Conference Pool of Six bowl game (Texas)
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Will play in Southeastern Conference Pool of Six bowl game (ReliaQuest)
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$200,000: Win at least share of ACC division title, will play in conference title game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Eighth win
►$50,000: Team from No. 25 to No. 16 in final CFP rankings (No. 23)
►$35,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$35,000: Will play in Conference USA title game
►$20,000: Sixth C-USA win, seventh overall
►$5,000: Eighth regular season win
►$27,285: Win Mid-American Conference division title, will play in conference title game
►$5,000: Ninth regular season win
►$10,000: MAC coach of the year
►$250,000: Will play in CFP semifinals
►$62,500: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least seven wins
►$100,000: Ninth regular season win
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension: Seventh win (Agreement now set to run through Feb. 28, 2029. Scheduled total pay for additional season is $4.75 million, with $2.85 million guaranteed.)
►$50,000: Eighth regular season win
►$25,000: Win over Oregon
►$25,000: Ninth regular season win
►$200,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Play in CFP non-semifinal game
►$150,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$30,000: Seventh win
►$90,000: Finish first or tied for first in Big Ten division
►$30,000: Eighth win
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$15,000: Sixth regular season win
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension and $25,000 future raise: Seventh win (Agreement now set to run through Feb. 28, 2027.)
►Additional $25,000 future raise: Eighth win (Scheduled total pay for previously earned additional contract year is $770,250, with $558,938 guaranteed.)
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$20,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Team among top 10 in final CFP rankings
►$100,000: Play in CFP non-semifinal game
►$50,000: Southeastern Conference coach of the year (Associated Press)
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Eighth regular season win
►$25,000: Ninth regular season win
►$25,000: Will play in Conference USA title game
►$25,000: Tenth regular season win
►$50,000: Win C-USA title game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$20,000: Sixth regular season win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Win at least a share of Mid-American Conference division title
►$10,000: Seventh regular season win
►$15,000: Will play in MAC title game
►$30,000: Win MAC title game
►$50,000: Sixth regular season win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension: Seventh win (Agreement now set to run through Jan. 31, 2027. Scheduled total pay for additional season is $925,000, with all of that amount guaranteed.)
►$10,000: Sun Belt Conference coach of the year
►$10,000: Win Sun Belt title game
►$10,000: Sixth regular season win
►$40,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$10,000: Seventh regular season win
►$10,000: Eighth regular season win
►$25,000: Ninth regular season win
►$15,000: Team ranked in AP top 25 at any time during season
►$275,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$10,000: Team in CFP rankings any time during regular season
►$100,000: Will play in Pac-12 Conference title game
►$125,000: Play in CFP non-semifinal game by winnning Pac-12 title game
►$125,000: Team in final CFP rankings
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with least seven wins
►$50,000: 8th win, assures that team will finish with wiinning overall record
►Unspecified share of staff bonus pool (amount in pool is 2% of defined staff payroll of $5.73 million): Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Fifth win in Mountain West Conference play
►$29,167: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
