Largest college football buyouts of all-time: Jimbo Fisher completes highway robbery

It's not uncommon for head coaches at prestigious programs to receive a hefty buyout if the university decides to terminate their contract before it expires.

But Texas A&M will be paying Jimbo Fisher a king's ransom after discharging the head football coach on Sunday. Fisher is slated to receive a $75-million buyout from Texas A&M.

Unsurprisingly, it will be the largest buyout in the history of college football. But who else has received quite the severance package from their former employer?

Largest college football buyouts of all-time: Jimbo Fisher completes highway robbery

1. Jimbo Fisher: $75 million
2. Gus Malzahn: $21.5 million
3. Charlie Weis: $19 million
4. Willie Taggart: $18 million
5. Tom Herman: $15.4 million

Prior to Jimbo Fisher's $75-million buyout, Gus Malzahn was at the top of the list after receiving $21.5-million from the University of Auburn. After eight winning seasons at Auburn and a National Title to boot, Malzahn was fired in 2020.

Charlie Weis got a hefty sum from Notre Dame after being fired in 2009. Weis was handed $19-million and landed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010 as their offensive coordinator. Weis returned to coach at Kansas but was let go midway through the 2014 season.

Florida State paid big time after send Willie Taggart on his way. The former Seminoles coach cashed in a cool $18-milion after he was fired midseason at FSU. Taggart actually replaced Jimbo Fisher in Tallahassee.

Rounding out the Top 5 is the $15.4-million the Universtiy of Texas forked over to former head coach Tom Herman. Now the head man at Florida Atlantic, Herman's 32-18 in Austin wasn't enough to enable him to continue to lead the Longhorns.

Interestingly enough, Jimbo Fisher's $75-million buyout is more than Malzahn, Weis, Taggart, and Herman combined ($73.9-million).