There's a lot of money in coaching offense.
Grant Hughes
College football salaries have skyrocketed since the turn of the millennium. In 2000, just six head coaches between the Big Ten and SEC made $1 million or more annually. Heading into the 2024 season, 17 offensive coordinators between the two conferences will cash seven-figure checks. New hires this offseason also reset the market, with one becoming the lone OC set to make $2+ million in 2024.
Three of the top 10 highest-paid OCs were hired this offseason, while eight of the top 10 inked deals over the last two seasons. The SEC (four) and Big Ten (three) lead all conferences with total number of OCs in the top 10 of the money list but didn't make the top three.
There's still more money in defense in college football.Seven defensive coordinators will earn more than the highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football this season. The same goes for position coaches. The highest-paid assistants in college football coach defensive backs and defensive line, respectively.
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Here are the top 10 highest-paid offensive coordinators in college football for the 2024 season, per USA Today:
Just Missed The Cut
KYLE FLOOD, TEXAS
2024 Salary:$1.325 million
The Texas offense shined under Flood in 2023, finishing No. 9 in total (477.5), No. 15 in scoring (35.8 ppg), No. 17 in passing (289.1) and No. 24 in rushing offense (188.4).Quinn Ewers had a breakout season under center, passing for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns.
NICK SHERIDAN, ALABAMA
2024 Salary:$1.3 million
Sheridan joined Kalen DeBoer's inaugural staff at Alabama in February and earned OC duties after Ryan Grubb left for the Seattle Seahawks. He hasn't called plays since the 2020-21 seasons at Indiana. The Hoosiers finished No. 4 in the Big Ten in scoring in 2020 and No. 13 in 2021.
T10. Mike Bobo, Georgia
2024 Salary:$1.4 million
Bobo didn't miss a beat in his first year back with the Bulldogs. The Georgia offense averaged 496.5 yards per game and 40.1 points per game in 2023, good for No. 5 nationally in both metrics. Bobo earned a second Broyles Award finalist accolade for his effort. QuarterbackCarson Beck had an elite season at the helm of Bobo's offense, completing 72.4% of his passes for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions.
T10. Marcus Satterfield, Nebraska
2024 Salary:$1.4 million
Satterfield parlayed a successful 2022 season at South Carolina into a reunion with Matt Rhule at Nebraska last season. The Cornhuskers struggled mightily on offense last season, finishing No. 117 in the nation in yards per game (312.8) and No. 123 in points per game (18.0). Lackluster quarterback play factored into Nebraska's struggles on offense. Satterfield won't have any excuses in year two after the program welcomed five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola into the fold this offseason.
T10. Will Stein, Oregon
2024 Salary:$1.4 million
Stein is arguably the best deal in college football despite ranking among the 10 highest-paid offensive coordinators in the sport. Oregon ranked No. 2 in the nation in total and scoring offense last season, averaging 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game. Those numbers are on par with some of the best in program history. Stein is still learning the ropes as a recruiter at just 34 years old but expects to be making money for a long time in college football.
T7. Kirby Moore, Missouri
2024 Salary:$1.5 million
Moore joined the Tigers football staff in 2023 after six prolific seasons at Fresno State. Missouri ranked No. 88 in scoring offense (24.8 ppg) the season before his arrival and skyrocketed to No. 29 in 2023 (32.5 ppg). There's an expectation the Tigers can take another step this fall after returning starting quarterback Brady Cook and All-SEC wide receiver Luther Burden III and adding one of the nation's top receiver prospects, Courtney Crutchfield.
T7. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas
2024 Salary:$1.5 million
Arkansas handed a Petrino two-year deal worth $3.1 million to return to Fayetteville this offseason after a year at Texas A&M. The Aggies ranked No. 5 in the SEC in scoring offense last season (34.2 ppg) and averaged 403.8 yards per game despite losing starting quarterbacks Conner Weigman and Max Johnson to injury.
"Bobby brings something special to Arkansas," head coach Sam Pittman said this offseason. "It's going well. He's helping me out. He's a very, very brilliant coordinator."
5. Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State
2024 Salary:$1.6 million
Penn State sought to get more explosive on offense this offseason after ranking No. 84 in the nation in passing yards per attempt (6.7) in 2023. So, head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions' brass handed Kotelnicki an offer he couldn't refuse to leave Kansas and move up north. The Jayhawks' offense was one of the nation's most explosive units over the last three seasons, ranking No. 12 in 20+ yard plays (8.3%) and No. 11 in 40+ yard plays (2.12%) during that span.
4. Charlie Weis, Jr., Ole Miss
2024 Salary:$1.65 million
Weis found instant success alongside Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. In his first season with the Rebels in 2022, he orchestrated an offense that averaged 496.4 yards per game, the fourth-best mark in school history. Ole Miss ranked among the nation's best offenses once again in 2023, ranking No. 16 in scoring (35.1 ppg) and No. 12 in total offense (461.9 ypg). The Rebels are poised to have another big season in 2024 following the return of starting quarterback Jaxson Dart.
3. Garrett Riley, Clemson
2024 Salary:$1.75 million
Riley was one of the hottest coaching commodities in the nation last offseason after helping TCU's offense break school records en route to a national championship berth. Clemson swayed him to move east with a three-year contract that pays $1.75 million annually. The Tigers' offense didn't live up to expectations in Riley's first season, dropping from No. 30 to No. 52 in scoring and No. 48 to No. 52 in total offense. There's hope Riley and Clemson's offense can right the ship with Cade Klubnik back at quarterback in 2024.
2. Andy Ludwig, Utah
2024 Salary:$1.85 million
Ludwig returned to Utah in 2019 and has helped lead the Utes' offense to some of its best seasons in school history over the past five years. Since his return, Utah's offense has eclipsed 450 yards of offense 26 times in 60 games and scored 30+ points in 38 outings. The Utes have only been held under 300 yards in just six games during that period. Injuries to quarterback Cam Rising hindered Utah's offense last season, but Ludwig's crew still managed to finish No. 3 in the Pac-12 in rushing offense (182.5 ypg).
1. Mike Denbrock, Notre Dame
2024 Salary:$2.1 million
Denbrock orchestrated the nation's top offense last season as LSU finished No. 1 nationally in total (543.5 ypg) and scoring offense (45.5). He received praise for his work with Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels, who broke multiple school records en route to a Heisman Trophy. Denbrock left LSU this offseason to become the highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football, inking a four-year deal with Notre Dame that will pay him $600,000 more in annual salary than his deal with the Tigers.
