With one massive regular season game, more than 40 bowl games and the College Football Playoff left to be play this season, Bowl Subdivision public school head coaches have combined to claim more than $14.7 million in bonuses, according to tracking by USA TODAY Sports based on contracts acquired through open-records requests.
That’s well within striking distance of last season’s final total just over $15.5 million, which is the largest since USA TODAY Sports began tracking these amounts in 2019. Then-Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh drove that number by stacking up $3 million in bonuses, by far the largest single-season haul for one coach.
This season, three coaches are at $1.3 million or more — Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham ($2,564,500), Indiana’s Curt Cignetti ($1.4 million) and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell ($1.3 million).
Two others have reached at least $800,000 — Oregon’s Dan Lanning ($850,000) and Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($800,000).
All but Campbell have their teams in the College Football Playoff.
Last season, only Harbaugh and then-Washington coach Kalen DeBoer reached seven figures.
This season’s bonus total does not include nearly $50 million in scheduled future obligations that coaches have secured through automatic contract extensions and/or changes to buyout arrangements that have been activated by teams reaching various benchmarks.
And the bonus activity will resume Saturday, with the Army-Navy game and the Salute to Veterans Bowl featuring South Alabama playing Western Michigan.
If Army (11-1) defeats Navy (8-3), Black Knights coach Jeff Monken will add $125,000 for his team defeating Navy and Air Force in the same season to win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy outright. Monken’s total award for winning the trophy is $200,000, but he already has $75,000 for the Black Knights’ defeat of Air Force.
Last weekend, Monken picked up $50,000 for Army’s victory in the American Athletic Conference championship game over Tulane, a win that gave him another $50,000 for the team making the CFP’s final top-25 rankings (it was No. 22). And while Army values nothing like beating Navy, under other circumstances, the AAC title game victory might have been the Black Knights’ final step to a CFP bid and yet another $100,000 for Monken, who already had $100,000 in hand for a non-CFP bowl bid.
The Naval Academy operates its athletics department as a private, non-profit organization and it does not release its coaches’ contracts.
In Saturday’s bowl game South Alabama’s Major Applewhite will get $20,000 for a win, Western Michigan’s Lance Taylor $25,000.
A full, school-by-school list of on-field incentives achieved follows. It 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. And those totals could be significant. For example, with Ohio State receiving a playoff berth, its 10 primary assistant coaches are set for a combined total more than $1.2 million in bonuses, and they’ll get more if the Buckeyes advance.
This list also does not include coaches’ bonuses for team academic achievements. And, as an example, Dillingham is set for $100,000 based on Arizona State football’s recently publish NCAA Graduation Success Rate.
Appalachian State: Shawn Clark
►$20,000: Competitive scheduling – play guarantee game at home stadium of Power Five opponent (Clemson)
Arizona State: Kenny Dillingham
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-College Football Playoff bowl game
►$200,000: Ninth regular season win
►$300,000: 10th regular season win
►$395,000: Play in Big 12 Conference title game
►$50,000: Big 12 coach of the year
►$395,000: Win Big 12 title
►$39,500 Team No. 25 through No. 11 in final CFP rankings (No. 12)
►$1,135,000: Play in CFP quarterfinals
Arkansas: Sam Pittman
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Play in what contract calls ‘Tier 2’ bowl, which mirrors Southeastern Conference Pool of Six (team playing in Liberty Bowl)
Arkansas State: Butch Jones
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Army: Jeff Monken
(Note: If team’s multi-year NCAA Academic Progress Rate is less than 975, Monken’s bonuses would be reduced by various percentages, depending on the APR figure.)
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Seventh regular season win
►$75,000: Win over Air Force
►$25,000: Eighth regular season win
►$25,000: Ninth regular season win
►$50,000: 10th regular season win
►$50,000: Win American Athletic Conference title
►$50,000 Team in top 25 of final CFP rankings (No. 22)
Boise State: Spencer Danielson
►$11,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$11,000: Sixth Mountain West Conference win
►$22,000: American Football Coaches Association regional coach of the year
►$11,000: Seventh Mountain West win
►$44,000: Play in Mountain West title game
►$22,000: Mountain West coach of the year
►$66,000: Win Mountain West title
►$110,000: Play in CFP quarterfinals
Bowling Green: Scot Loeffler
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$7,500: Fifth Mid-American Conference win
►$25,000: Sixth MAC win
►$5,000: Bowling Green player named MAC player of the year (Harold Fannin Jr.)
Buffalo: Pete Lembo
►$35,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$15,000: Eighth regular season win
California: Justin Wilcox
►$25,000: Win over Stanford
►$25,000: Sixth regular season win
►$40,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Clemson: Dabo Swinney
►$75,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least eight wins
►$50,000: Play in Atlantic Coast Conference title game
►$200,000: Win ACC title
►$75,000: Play in CFP first round
Coastal Carolina: Tim Beck
►$150,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Colorado: Deion Sanders
►$150,000: Sixth win
►$150,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Seventh regular season win
►$100,000: Eighth regular season win
►$100,000: Ninth regular season win
Colorado State: Jay Norvell
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Fourth Mountain West win
►$50,000: Seventh win
►$25,000: Fifth Mountain West win
►$50,000: Eighth win
►$50,000: Sixth Mountain West win
Connecticut: Jim Mora
►$25,000: Sixth regular season win
►$50,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$10,000: Seventh regular season win
►$10,000: Eighth regular season win
East Carolina: Blake Harrell
(Note: Harrell had been serving as interim head coach, and his bonus total is based on the terms of his interim head coaching agreement. East Carolina has since removed Harrell’s interim tag and named him head coach.)
►$45,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Florida: Billy Napier
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Fresno State interim coach: Tim Skipper
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Georgia: Kirby Smart
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Eighth win, sets up team for Southeastern Conference Pool of Six bowl
►$100,000: Play in SEC title game
►$200,000: Win SEC title
►$425,000: Play in CFP quarterfinals
Georgia Southern: Clay Helton
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$30,000: Eighth regular win
Georgia State: Dell McGee
►$10,000: Win over Power Four team (Vanderbilt)
Georgia Tech: Brent Key
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Illinois: Bret Bielema
►One-year contract extension; $25,000 bonus this season: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game (Agreement set to run through Jan. 31, 2030. Scheduled total pay for that season would be $7.25 million, all guaranteed.)
►$150,000 increase in scheduled total and guaranteed pay for season added under automatic contract extension, making it worth $7.4 million: Seventh win
►$50,000: Eighth regular season win
►$50,000: Ninth regular season win
►$75,000: Ninth win, sets up team for what contract terms ‘Tier 1’ bowl, which includes ReliaQuest and Citrus (team playing in Citrus)
Indiana: Curt Cignetti
►One-year contract extension; $250,000 raise, beginning next season; $200,000 bonus this season: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game (Agreement set to run through Nov. 30, 2030. Scheduled total pay for that season would be $5.1 million, with $3.3 million guaranteed.)
Note: After Cignetti reached this goal, he and school agreed on new contract that is longer and more lucrative.
►$100,000: Fifth Big Ten Conference win
►$50,000: Sixth Big Ten win
►$500,000: Finish among top two in final Big Ten regular season standings
►$50,000: Big Ten coach of the year
►$500,000 bonus this year and increase in the value of buyout if Cignetti is fired without cause to 100% of remaining value of new contract from 85%. (As of Dec. 10, 2024, that difference is nearly $9.5 million.): Play in CFP first round
Iowa: Kirk Ferentz
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Iowa State: Matt Campbell
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$250,000: Seventh regular season win
►$250,000: Eighth regular season win
►$250,000: Ninth regular season win
►$250,000: 10th regular season win
►$250,000: Play in Big 12 Conference title game with team tied for first place in regular season conference standings
Jacksonville State: Rich Rodriguez
►$10,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$10,000: Seventh regular season win
►$10,000: Eighth regular season win
►$20,000: Win Conference USA title
James Madison: Bob Chesney
►$15,000: Win over Power Four team (North Carolina)
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Seventh win over FBS opponents
Kansas State: Chris Klieman
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension: Eighth regular-season win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2032. Extension now scheduled to pay $6.5 million with at least $3.75 million guaranteed.)
Louisville: Jeff Brohm
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
LSU: Brian Kelly
►$500,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Louisiana-Lafayette: Michael Desormeaux
►$25,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least seven wins
►One-year contract extension: 10th win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2027. Extension now scheduled to pay $772,800 with $443,680 million guaranteed.)
►$25,000: 10th regular season win
►$25,000: Win Sun Belt Conference division title
►$20,000: Sun Belt coach of the year
Marshall: Charles Huff
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$30,000: Seventh win
►$50,000: Win Sun Belt title
Memphis: Ryan Silverfield
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$75,000: Eighth regular season win
►One-year contract extension and $25,000 bonus: Ninth regular season win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2029. Extension now scheduled to pay $2.8 million with $1.68 million guaranteed.)
►$25,000: 10th regular season win
►$25,000 Team No. 25 through No. 11 in final CFP rankings (No. 25)
Miami (Ohio): Chuck Martin
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Play in MAC title game
Minnesota: P.J. Fleck
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Fifth Big Ten win
Mississippi: Lane Kiffin
►$100,000: Regular season win over non-conference Power Five team (Wake Forest)
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension: Seventh win (Contract with Ole Miss Athletics Foundation now set to run through Dec. 31, 2030; contract with university through Dec. 31, 2028. Extension now scheduled to pay $9,000,000, with $7.2 million guaranteed.)
►$50,000: Eighth win, sets up team for SEC Pool of Six bowl (team playing Gator Bowl)
►$150,000: Fifth SEC win
Missouri: Eliah Drinkwitz
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Team in top 25 of final CFP rankings (No. 19)
►$50,000: Play in SEC Group of Six bowl game (team playing in Music City Bowl)
Nebraska: Matt Rhule
►$150,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Nevada-Las Vegas: Barry Odom
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Play in Mountain West title game
►$25,000: Team in top of final CFP rankings (No. 24)
North Carolina: Mack Brown
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
North Carolina State: Dave Doeren
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
North Texas: Eric Morris
►$35,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Northern Illinois: Thomas Hammock
►$15,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Ohio: Tim Albin
►One-year contract extension and $5,000 bonus: Eighth regular season win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2028. Extension now scheduled to pay $710,000 with $305,000 guaranteed.)
►$5,000: Ninth regular season win
►$30,753: Play in MAC title game
►$10,000: MAC coach of the year
►$30,753: Win MAC title
Ohio State: Ryan Day
►$100,000: Play in CFP first round
Oregon: Dan Lanning
►One-year contract extension: 10th regular season win (Contract now set to run through Jan. 31, 2031. Extension now scheduled to pay $9,400,000, all guaranteed.)
►$200,000: 11th regular season win
►$100,000: Play in Big Ten championship game
►$200,000: 12th regular season win
►$150,000: Win Big Ten title
►$200,000: Play in CFP quarterfinals
Penn State: James Franklin
(Note: Penn State announced on Nov. 29 that Franklin’s bonus package has been revised to address a 12-team CFP. The university made no details available. The bonuses listed here are from a term sheet the university previously had released rather than a full-form contract.)
►$200,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$200,000: Play in Big Ten title game
Rutgers: Greg Schiano
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Sam Houston State: K.C. Keeler
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
San Jose State: Ken Niumatalolo
►$30,000: Seventh regular season win
South Alabama: Major Applewhite
►$15,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
South Carolina: Shane Beamer
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Play in Citrus Bowl
South Florida: Alex Golesh
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Tennessee: Josh Heupel
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Team No. 10 through No. 6 in final CFP rankings (No. 7)
►$100,000: Play in CFP first round
Texas: Steve Sarkisian
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$150,000: Play in SEC title game
►$150,000: Play in CFP first round
Texas-San Antonio: Jeff Traylor
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Texas State: G.J. Kinne
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Texas Tech: Joey McGuire
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Eighth regular season win
Toledo: Jason Candle
►$75,000: Sixth regular season win
►$20,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$60,000: Seventh regular season win
Utah: Kyle Whittingham
►$15,000: Team ranked in top 25 at any time during season (AP preseason top 25, No. 12)
Virginia Tech: Brent Pry
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Washington: Jedd Fisch
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Washington State: Jake Dickert
►$25,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least seven wins
West Virginia: Neal Brown
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
Western Kentucky: Tyson Helton
►$50,000: Play in Conference USA title game
►$50,000: 8th win assures team will finish with winning record
Western Michigan: Lance Taylor
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game