Highest-paid college football coaches for 2023: Kirby Smart only third

A report revealed the 10 highest-paid college football coaches for the 2023 season and, even after back-to-back titles, Kirby Smart is only third. 

Kirby Smart ended a 40-year national championship drought for the Georgia Bulldogs, then had the audacity to win another one the next season, this past year. The job he’s done in Athens as a recruiter, developer, and coach has been unmatched. And yet, he doesn’t top the list of the highest-paid coaches in college football.

With the way big athletic programs throw around extensions and big checks, that could change at quite literally any moment but, based on reporting for annual salary done by 247 Sports, it’s actually Nick Saban that tops the list of the highest-paid college football coaches. Even with Smart’s accomplishments, that’s kind of hard to argue with.

What is more difficult to believe, though, is that Smart isn’t even the second-highest-paid coach in the sport. So who is?

Highest-paid college football coaches for the 2023 season

Here’s what the report revealed are the 10 highest-paid college football coaches for the 2023 season, per 247 Sports.

• 1. Nick Saban, Alabama – $11.7 million
• 2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson – $11.5 million
• 3. Kirby Smart, Georgia – $11.25 million
• 4. Lincoln Riley, USC – $10 million
• T5. Brian Kelly, LSU – $9.5 million
• T5. Mel Tucker, Michigan State – $9.5 million
• T5. Ryan Day, Ohio State – $9.5 million
• T5. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M – $9.5 million
• 9. Matt Rhule, Nebraska – $9.25 million
• T10. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss – $9 million
• T10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee – $9 million

One note from 247 Sports is that there is a chance that Lincoln Riley is making more than $10 million for the 2023 season but they are basing that figure on the information made publicly available by the state of California and USC.

There are quite a few shockers in this list and it’s hard not to notice that Mel Tucker stands out among this group — as does Jimbo Fisher based on expectations vs. success at Texas A&M to this point. And Rhule getting into the Top 10 after being fired by the Carolina Panthers last year is an all-time getting-the-bag moment.

I’m also quite sure that Michigan fans will be quick to point out that Ohio State is paying Ryan Day substantially more than Jim Harbaugh just to lose to Michigan in each of the past two seasons.

But at the end of the day, it’s hard to argue with the three highest-paid coaches in college football. Between Saban, Dabo and Smart, that’s basically every national title winner of the past decade, save for Ed Orgeron. But after two titles, it shouldn’t shock anyone to see Smart at the top of this list sooner rather than later.

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