When looking at U.S. public sector earnings, an unexpected field dominates the highest echelons. It appears that the gilded halls of academia are not presided over by renowned scholars, celebrated researchers, or acclaimed administrators, but rather by athletic coaches—specifically those leading college football and basketball programs. Top-ranking coaches across various states are not only outpacing their academic counterparts, they are outstripping them in a staggering fashion.
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College Coaches Dominate States’ Top Earning Employees with Average Salary of $9.8 Million
- All top 10 earners are college coaches, with an average salary of $9.8 million.
- The highest earner, Nick Saban, football coach at the University of Alabama, receives $11.7 million.
- The 10th highest earner, James Franklin, football coach at Penn State, earns $8.7 million.
A glance at the top ten earners among state employees reveals that they all helm university sports teams, with average annual salaries reaching an astounding $9.8 million. Alabama’s Nick Saban leads the pack, steering the University of Alabama’s college football team with an annual paycheck of $11.7 million.
Close behind are Georgia’s Kirby Smart and South Carolina’s Dabo Swinney, earning $11.25 million and $10.5 million respectively, for coaching their state’s university football teams.
Bill Self, the college basketball coach from Kansas University, disrupts the football domination with his $10.18 million salary. The list of the top ten is rounded off by James Franklin of Pennsylvania, receiving an annual sum of $8.7 million for leading the Penn State Football team.
Comparing Coaches to Other Professions
- The highest-earning non-coaching state employee, Michael Collins, Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, earns $1.22 million.
- Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Vice Chancellor of the University of Maine and the highest-earning female state employee, earns $410,000.
When you contrast these astronomical figures with other state employees, the discrepancies become even more glaring. Take Michael Collins, Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the highest-paid non-coaching state employee, who earns a comparatively modest $1.22 million annually.
The highest-earning female state employee, Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Vice Chancellor of the University of Maine, receives a $410,000 salary—paling in comparison to her coaching counterparts.
Commercial Revenue Driving College Coaches Salaries Up
These stark pay gaps provoke thought and scrutiny. What propels college coaches to such financial heights? Much of it can be attributed to the revenue these sports programs generate. College football and basketball are not merely games; they are thriving enterprises, generating millions in revenues from broadcasting rights, ticket sales, merchandise, and more.
Successful teams enhance a university’s reputation, spur alumni donations, and attract prospective students. The head coaches, steering these lucrative ventures, command salaries reflective of their programs’ commercial success.
However, such high earnings of college coaches often ignite debates on university spending and priorities, the commercialization of college sports, and the salary inequities within the higher education sector. Furthermore, the discussion extends to the athletes themselves, who, until recently, have not received direct financial benefits despite being the key drivers of this revenue.
Non-Athletic Department Top Earners Average Salary of $632,000 Compared to $6.3 Million for College Football Coaches
The broader picture among the top 50 state employees:
- 31 are football coaches, averaging $6.3 million in annual earnings.
- 10 public sector employees from diverse roles outside athletics, average just over $632,000 a year.
Delving deeper into the numbers, we find that out of the 50 top earners among state employees, 31 are football coaches, earning an average of $6.3 million annually. Nine are basketball coaches, taking home around $4.8 million per annum on average. The remaining ten individuals, from diverse roles outside athletics, average just over $632,000 a year.
Ultimately, these figures reveal the immense value placed on college sports in America, particularly football and basketball. They provide an intriguing, if somewhat disconcerting, look at the economic landscape of public sector employment and higher education—a landscape where the financial rewards for leading a sports team drastically overshadow those of educational or administrative leadership.
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