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Head college basketball coaches have high salaries in NCAA’s D1 programs. In addition to their base salaries, coaches often receive additional compensation for bonuses, endorsements, and other incentives. Many coaches also receive additional income from television and radio shows, as well as speaking engagements.

At the lower end of the pay scale, many D1 head coaches make between $150,000 and $400,000 annually. I’d estimate that there are at least 75 of them that make over $1 million per year.  Division II and III coaches typically make far less, with salaries ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.

The salaries of individual coaches vary widely depending on their level of success, the size of their program, and the resources available to them.  Not all of their salaries are reported.  Private institutions and recent deals might be missing from the list.

You’ll notice that teams with the best odds to win the NCAA tournament have coaches that make a lot of money.  If a guy wants to move his name up on the list below, he better take his team on a deep run and get the fanbase excited.

College Basketball Coach Salary: List of Highest Paid in Division I

RankCoachTeamSalaryConf.
1John CalipariKentucky$8,533,000SEC
2Bill SelfKansas$5,964,000Big 12
3Tom IzzoMichigan St$5,739,000Big Ten
4Rick BarnesTennessee$5,450,000SEC
5Bruce PearlAuburn$5,449,000SEC
6Chris BeardTexas$5,005,000Big 12
7Tony BennettVirginia$4,830,000ACC
8Brad UnderwoodIllinois$4,601,000Big Ten
9Bob HugginsWest Virginia$4,150,000Big 12
10Mick CroninUCLA$4,100,000Pac-12
11Eric MusselmanArkansas$4,100,000SEC
12Buzz WilliamsTexas A&M$4,100,000SEC
13Dana AltmanOregon$4,010,000Pac-12
14Tommy LloydArizona$4,000,000Pac-12
15Kevin WillardMaryland$3,900,000Big Ten
16Ed CooleyProvidence$3,751,000Big East
17Scott DrewBaylor$3,707,000Big 12
18Greg GardWisconsin$3,638,000Big Ten
19Juwan HowardMichigan$3,616,000Big Ten
20Jeff CapelPittsburgh$3,615,000ACC
21Matt PainterPurdue$3,580,000Big Ten
22Jamie DixonTexas Christian$3,512,000Big 12
23Andy EnfieldSouthern California$3,511,000Pac-12
24Chris HoltmannOhio St.$3,500,000Big Ten
25Kenny PayneLouisville$3,494,000ACC
26Nate OatsAlabama$3,419,000SEC
27Michael WhiteGeorgia$3,405,000SEC
28Fred HoibergNebraska$3,250,000Big Ten
29Fran McCafferyIowa$3,208,000Big Ten
30Kelvin SampsonHouston$3,200,000AAC
31Kermit DavisMississippi$3,152,000SEC
32Jerry StackhouseVanderbilt$3,138,000SEC
33Mark AdamsTexas Tech$3,108,000Big 12
34Todd GoldenFlorida$3,100,000SEC
35Mike WoodsonIndiana$3,075,000Big Ten
36Matt McMahonLouisiana State$3,035,000SEC
37Mike HopkinsWashington$3,015,000Pac-12
38Mike BoyntonOklahoma State$3,000,000Big 12
39Steve PikiellRutgers$3,000,000Big Ten
40Chris CollinsNorthwestern$2,893,000Big Ten
41Kevin KeattsNC State$2,804,000ACC
42Porter MoserOklahoma$2,800,000Big 12
43Brad BrownellClemson$2,771,000ACC
44Wayne TinkleOregon St.$2,674,000Pac-12
45Bobby HurleyArizona State$2,610,000Pac-12
46Josh PastnerGeorgia Tech$2,602,000ACC
47Jim BoeheimSyracuse$2,583,000ACC
48Jim LarranagaMiami-Florida$2,563,000ACC
49Mike BreyNotre Dame$2,501,000ACC
50Mike YoungVirginia Tech$2,500,000ACC
51Dennis GatesMissouri$2,500,000SEC
52Hubert DavisNorth Carolina$2,450,000ACC
53Tad BoyleColorado$2,425,000Pac-12
54Chris JansMississippi State$2,400,000SEC
55Leonard HamiltonFlorida State$2,250,000ACC
56Lamont ParisSouth Carolina$2,200,000SEC
57Greg McDermottCreighton$2,143,000Big East
58Jerome TangKansas State$2,100,000Big 12
59Ben JohnsonMinnesota$2,009,000Big Ten
60T.J. OtzelbergerIowa State$2,000,000Big 12
61Craig SmithUtah$1,950,000Pac-12
62Mark FewGonzaga$1,878,000WCC
63Mark FoxCalifornia$1,725,000Pac-12
64Mike RhoadesVCU$1,723,000ATL 10
65Wes MillerCincinnati$1,581,000AAC
66Kyle SmithWashington St.$1,500,000Pac-12
67Brian DutcherSan Diego St.$1,353,000MWC
68Steve AlfordNevada$1,225,000MWC
69Steve ForbesWake Forest$1,114,000ACC
70Isaac BrownWichita St.$1,003,000AAC
71Randy BennettSt. Mary’s$948,000WCC
72Rick PitinoIona$612,000MAAC
73Steve ProhmMurray St.$520,000MVC
74Jonas HayesGeorgia St$506,000S-Belt
75Matt LangelColgate$482,000Patriot
76John BeckerVermont$365,000AM East
77LeVelle MotonNorth Carolina Central$355,000MEAC
78Greg HeiarNew Mexico St.$300,000WAC
79Eric HendersonSouth Dakota State$300,000Summit
80Johnny JonesTexas Southern$275,000SWAC

Average CBB Head Coaching Salaries by Conference

While Mid-Major gigs pay pretty well, it’s a really good job if you can get the head coaching position in one of the bigger conferences. Below you will see the average salary for each conference. At the end of the day, almost no matter where you are at you are going to be in a high tax bracket if you can get the top job.

Conf.Total Pay
AAC1,928,000
ACC2,775,153
AM East365,000
ATL 101,723,000
Big 123,534,600
Big East2,947,000
Big Ten3,539,153
MAAC612,000
MEAC355,000
MVC520,000
MWC1,289,000
Pac-122,865,454
Patriot482,000
S-Belt506,000
SEC3,855,785
SWAC275,000
Summit300,000
WAC300,000
WCC1,413,000

Why Do Men’s D1 NCAAB Coaches Make So Much Money Each Year?

You might be shocked at how much some of these guys make, but just remember how much money a basketball program can generate for a school.  A good team gets 20+ home games drawing 10,000 plus in attendance, buying tickets, paying for parking, and then emptying out the concession stands.  A bad team sees the seats half-empty.  Even average teams can afford millions of dollars to the coaching staff.

It’s no surprise that the top conferences like the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac-12 litter the top of the list.  They have the biggest arenas and generate the most revenue.  Mid-majors though get addicted to winning, and they will do the best they can to hold on to someone who gives them hope of going to the tournament and competing every year.

And NCAA Tournament appearances and success are big money makers for conferences and schools.  You get a lot of media recognition if you can make a run in the dance, giving your school more exposure.  Winning in March definitely has its perks!

Check out how much coaches in other sports make:

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