10 most overpaid college football coaches
By John Buhler
USA TODAY Sports released the salaries for all the head coaches in college football in 2016. Which 10 coaches are getting more coin than they should?
USA TODAY Sports has published the salaries for just about all FBS college football coaches in the 2016 season. There were a few high-profile coaches who weren’t listed like Mark Richt of the Miami Hurricanes, Pat Narduzzi of the Pittsburgh Panthers, and Clay Helton of the USC Trojans because of their involvement with private institutions.
To be fair, most college head coaches are paid handsomely because they deserve to be. Yes, we still live in a time where student-athletes don’t see a dime, but solid Power 5 coaches have absolutely earned the right to make well over seven figures annually.
Some coaches are compensated fairly, given the nature of their respective school’s football program. A few are getting the short end of the stick and probably need a pay raise. Then there are those that are getting too much than they are worth.
10. Barry Odom, Missouri Tigers
Of the 128 Division I football head coaches, why is a head coach that has never beaten a Power 5 team making over $2 million annually? Yes, Barry Odom is in his first year leading the Missouri Tigers, but his team might be the worst in the SEC in 2016.
Odom has a tough task in replacing arguably the best head coach in Missouri history in Gary Pinkel. Odom was the Tigers’ defensive coordinator in 2015 and had been the defensive coordinator under Justin Fuente with the Memphis Tigers from 2012-14.
He is a former linebacker for Missouri, but has only been at coach at two Division I schools in his coaching career: Missouri (2003-11, 2015-present) and Memphis (2012-14). Odom is only 39 years old and will probably figure it all out here within the next year or so, but to be the 49th highest paid coach in 2016 is a little pricey for a guy replacing a legend in Columbia.
Odom will make $2,350,000 in 2016 and that will probably end up being more millions of dollars that Missouri will have SEC wins this season. The University of Missouri can afford to pay its new coach handsomely, but are we sure he’s doing a good job of earning it at 2-5 so far the season?