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NCAA basketball: Top 25 highest-paid college basketball coaches for 2020

By Cody Williams

Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks with John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks with John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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College basketball (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

12. Buzz Williams, Texas A&M

Salary: $3,843,182 | Buyout: $20,816,667

There were 12 years when Buzz Williams was trying to break into the head coach ranks as he spent time as an assistant with five different programs, last spending time in that span with Texas A&M from 2004-06. His first year as a head coach was a brief stint with the New Orleans Privateers before accepting an assistant job at Marquette, where he became head coach after one season.

Spending six seasons with the Golden Eagles, Williams was the right man for the job when he was promoted. He went 25-10 in his first season at the helm and won at least 22 games in each of the next five seasons, all of which featured trips to the NCAA Tournament, including three trips to the Sweet 16 and two times going to the Elite Eight.

After a rough 17-15 campaign in the 2013-14 season, though, Williams accepted the move to Virginia Tech. Taking over a struggling program, the Hokies were only 11-22 in his first year but Williams again showcased his talents on the sideline. The Hokies won at least 20 games in each of the next four seasons, including going 26-9 in the 2018-19 campaign and making a trip to the Sweet 16 that year.

Williams left Blacksburg to take the job at Texas A&M, where he has a lengthy history. In his first season with the Aggies, the team went only 16-14 overall but did manage a 10-8 mark in the SEC. However, if the head coach has proven anything over his career, it’s that he’s more than capable of building up a program and leaving his stamp on them.