May this be the costliest teaching carousel in faculty soccer historical past? With greater than $100 million already dedicated to fired head coaches — and extra in all probability to come back — FBS faculties might prime $250 million in buyouts this 12 months.
Thus far, 9 head coaches — together with Penn State’s James Franklin and Florida’s Billy Napier — have been fired. The mixed buyout determine of all of them is $114.55 million, in accordance with knowledge from USA In the present day and Entrance Workplace Sports activities.
Different head coaches who could also be on the new seat embody North Carolina’s Invoice Belichick ($20.83M buyout), Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell ($27.49M), Auburn’s Hugh Freeze ($15.44M), Florida State’s Mike Norvell ($58.67) and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops ($37.69M), amongst others. If these 5 head coaches have been to be fired, the overall buyouts would attain $274.67 million, shattering a report.
In line with knowledge from the Knight-Newhouse Faculty Athletics Database, between 2005 and 2024, the very best yearly severance for FBS coaches occurred final 12 months ($188.15M). That knowledge, although, consists of head coaches, assistant coaches and administrative employees.
The $114.55M in buyouts accrued this season is just for head coaches; that quantity would not embody assistants and different employees members.
Buyouts of 9 head coaches fired this season
Trent Bray, Oregon State, $3.9 millionTrent Dilfer, UAB, $2.82 millionDeShaun Foster , UCLA, $6.43 millionJames Franklin, Penn State, $48.67 millionMike Gundy, Oklahoma State, $15 millionBilly Napier , Florida, $20.43 millionJay Norvell, Colorado State, $1.5 millionSam Pittman, Arkansas, $9.8 millionBrent Pry, Virginia Tech, $6 million
5 CFB seasons with highest severance quantities
2024: $188.15 million2022: $159.59 million2018: $156.19 million2023: $147.21 million2021: $116.83 million
The buyouts for the opposite 15 years within the Knight-Newhouse database have been all beneath $100 million yearly.
Newer seasons have bigger greenback quantities, partly, due to inflation, together with the general development of the game. Components reminiscent of an expanded Faculty Soccer Playoff and big tv contracts, particularly within the Massive Ten Convention and Southeastern Convention, have led to a ballooning of the salaries for head coaches and their assistants.
Nonetheless, these salaries are anticipated to be reined amid the revenue-sharing period. With the multi-billion-dollar Home of Representatives settlement, faculties are actually paying their athletes straight, and to remain aggressive with revenue-sharing, packages could need to decrease the salaries to their coaches.
The rest of the 2025 marketing campaign should play out. The pinnacle-coaching carousel needs to be chaotic this offseason. And the cash paid out for head coaches’ buyouts might find yourself being historic.
