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College Football coaching salaries 2017: Worth it, not worth it

By Nathaniel Reeves

TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TX – NOVEMBER 11 : Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders walks on the field during warm ups before the game between the Baylor Bears and the Texas Tech Red Raiders on November 11, 2017 at AT
LUBBOCK, TX – NOVEMBER 11 : Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders walks on the field during warm ups before the game between the Baylor Bears and the Texas Tech Red Raiders on November 11, 2017 at AT /

Not worth it: Kliff Kingsbury

It might be time for the Red Raiders to move on from a program legend in Kingsbury next year, as Texas Tech is paying a lot of money to steadily head in the wrong direction.

As one of the top quarterbacks to play in Mike Leach’s Air Raid system, Kingsbury set numerous school and NCAA records during his prolific career at Texas Tech from 1998-2002. After bouncing around the NFL, Kingsbury quickly rose through the coaching ranks to become Houston’s offensive coordinator in 2010.

Kingsbury followed Kevin Sumlin to Texas A&M to keep the same role, and quickly became a hot head coaching prospect by guiding Johnny Manziel to a Heisman Trophy in 2012. Texas Tech was reeling after controversially firing leach and stagnating under Tommy Tuberville, and chose to make an easy hire with Kingsbury returning to his alma mater.

Things started off promisingly enough with an 8-5 record and Holiday Bowl win in Kingsbury’s debut campaign, but the Red Raiders have only had one winning season since and own a 30-32 record during his tenure. While the offense has been explosive, Texas Tech just cannot figure it out on the defensive end, and only the season-ending victory over Texas to salvage a bowl likely saved his job.

Even with Lubbock ranking as one of the most difficult places to win in the Power Five, multiple below .500 campaigns in a row just isn’t good enough for a coach making $3.5 million. A buyout of nearly $7 million might have been the only deterrent form Texas Tech making a coaching change in recent weeks.

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