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

6. Jay Wright, Villanova

Salary: $4,410,304 | Buyout: N/A

After spending five seasons as an assistant with Villanova until 1992 and then two years as an assistant at UNLV, Jay Wright got his first college basketball head coaching job prior to the 1994-95 season when he took over the Hofstra Flying Dutchmen. And though it took a bit for him to make good on his first gig, he ultimately got there.

Hofstra didn’t win more than 12 games in any of the first three seasons under Wright. However, they won 19 games in the 1997-98 season then went 22-10 the next year. Over the next two years, the program went 24-7 and 26-5, respectively, while they won the America East Conference and earned an NCAA Tournament berth in both years. That got Wright the Villanova Wildcats job prior to the 2001-02 season.

Much like when he got to Hofstra, the first few seasons with the Wildcats were spent laying a foundation. Villanova went 19-13, 15-16 and 18-17 in his first three years at the helm. Since the 2004-05 season, however, Wright has led the program to the NCAA Tournament in every season but one since. He’s also captured seven Big East regular-season championships and four conference tourney titles.

Wright has, of course, also taken Villanova to three Final Fours in his time with the program and won two National Championships as well. His run of success with the Wildcats is unquestionable and has earned him his monster paycheck.