College Football Coaches Received A Record $228 Million In Buyouts This Year

Getting the head coaching job for a college football program is a big deal, especially at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, the highest in the sport. There are only 136 FBS schools, so there's tough competition to reach the top level. While every coach dreams of leading their school to glory, each season sees teams underperforming the preseason expectations bestowed upon them.

As a result, each season also features several schools firing those underperforming coaches. While college coaches often make millions of dollars per year, getting fired can be nearly as lucrative thanks to large buyouts within their contracts. In fact, this season has seen a record amount of money paid out to fired coaches.

This season, 15 schools parted ways with head coaches who will receive buyouts. There were a few other instances of coaches getting fired with cause, so they aren't included on this list. Per college football reporter Ross Dellenger, 15 coaches will receive a whopping $228 million in buyouts. Here's who's getting major pay days.

Billy Napier (L) and Mark Stoops are among the fired college football coaches who have received lucrative buyouts. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Brian Kelly, LSU: $54 million

LSU fired Brian Kelly on Oct. 26, and it seems like the university has been mired in a coaching mess ever since. Despite two 10-win seasons, Kelly was never able to get the Tigers back into the College Football Playoff. After a 5-3 start this year, the Tigers parted ways. Kelly is suing the school to earn his full buyout. In the meantime, LSU hired Lane Kiffin as its new head coach. The Tigers now owe money to Kiffin, Kelly, and Ed Orgeron, despite two of those coaches no longer being at the school.

Mark Stoops, Kentucky: $38 million

Mark Stoops is the all-time winningest coach in Kentucky football history, but it wasn't enough to save his job. Stoops got fired on Dec. 1 after a second consecutive losing season. The school is in talks with Stoops to restructure what it owes him, though as it currently stands, he'll get one of the largest buyouts the NCAA has ever seen.

Jonathan Smith, Michigan State: $33.5 million

Michigan State hired Jonathan Smith in 2023 with hopes he could help the Spartans contend for a Big Ten title. Instead, the Spartans went 5-7 and then 4-8 in Smith's two years at the helm before firing him. He'll also receive an additional three months of health benefits as part of the buyout. Michigan State might get some help in paying Smith, since the coach must make "a reasonable effort to seek new employment."

Billy Napier, Florida: $21 million

Florida has won three championships since 1996, so there's a certain expectation of success in Gainesville. Billy Napier couldn't hit that level with the Gators, finishing 22-23 in four seasons. The university fired him, though he got a new job at James Madison shortly after his dismissal from Florida. His buyout does not include any offsetting, which means he'll be getting paid from both Florida and James Madison.

Hugh Freeze, Auburn: $15.8 million

Hugh Freeze signed a six-year, $49 million contract with Auburn in 2022. He made it about two-and-a-half seasons before the university fired him, ending his Auburn tenure with a 15-19 record. Freeze will receive the entirety of his money even if he signs with another school.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: $15 million

Mike Gundy gained fame back in the early days of the Internet for his "I'm a man—I'm 40!" press conference. He spent 21 years at Oklahoma State and was the second-longest tenured head coach in FBS before his dismissal. Gundy finished with a 170-90 record, a Big 12 title, and 12 victories in bowl games. The university decided to part ways after a rough season last year and a slow start to this one.

Justin Wilcox, California: $10.9 million

Justin Wilcox began his coaching career in 2001, though he didn't become a head coach until 2017, when California gave him a shot. Whether they were in the Pac-12 or the ACC, the Bears could never quite overcome mediocrity. Wilcox's best season was in 2019, when Cal finished with an 8-5 record. Over nine years, Wilcox's Bears went 48-55 and only 26-47 in conference play.

Sam Pittman, Arkansas: $9.8 million

Sam Pittman had an even longer journey to becoming an FBS coach, spending 35 years at the junior college level and at various assistant positions throughout FBS schools. Arkansas hired him in December 2019, and his first season was during the COVID-19-impacted schedule. After that rough year, Pittman looked like he was turning things around. The Razorbacks finished 9-4 in 2021, ending the season ranked 20th in the Coaches Poll. Despite two more winning seasons over the next three years, the Razorbacks couldn't reach that 2021 level of success. The school fired Pittman five games into this season after a blowout loss at home against Notre Dame. He ended his Razorbacks tenure with a 32-34 record.

James Franklin, Penn State: $9 million

Last season, James Franklin led Penn State within a score of reaching the national championship. Yet that didn't matter after a slow start to this season. Franklin was fired in mid-October, and his buyout of about $49 million was one of the largest in college football history. However, Franklin and Penn State negotiated a lesser buyout after the coach found a new home with Virginia Tech.

Brent Pry, Virginia Tech: $6 million

The Hokies fired Brent Pry in September after an 0-3 start, ending his head coaching stint with a 16-21 record over three-plus seasons. But in a move that's never been seen before, Virginia Tech rehired Pry as defensive coordinator after Franklin accepted the head coaching gig. Pry's buyout is almost like a raise, since he signed a new contract as defensive coordinator.

DeShaun Foster, UCLA: $5 million

DeShaun Foster spent several years with UCLA, serving in multiple positions (most notably running backs coach) before getting the head coaching job in 2024. Foster didn't see much success running the program at his alma mater, however. The Bruins finished 5-7 last year and began this season with an 0-3 record before UCLA showed Foster the door.

Trent Bray, Oregon State: $4 million

In 2024, Trent Bray got promoted to head coach from defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Oregon State. Bray replaced Jonathan Smith, who left the Beavers to coach at Michigan State. Both coaches wound up getting fired this year; Bray finished 5-14 with Oregon State, including an 0-7 start this season. Coincidentally, Bray has since taken a job with the other Pac-12 holdover, Washington State.

Trent Dilfer, UAB: $2.4 million

After his NFL career ended, Trent Dilfer spent more than a decade as a broadcaster before moving into coaching. Dilfer had a successful stint at Lipscomb Academy, a high school in Nashville, and that was enough for the UAB Blazers to hire him as their head coach. The jump to college didn't go smoothly, however. The Blazers had a 9-21 record in two-and-a-half seasons under Dilfer before UAB fired him.

Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina: $1.7 million

Tim Beck led the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers to an 8-5 record and Hawaii Bowl victory in his first season as head coach. However, the past two years ended in .500 or below records, and the school fired Beck on Nov. 30. Less than three weeks later, he accepted a job as the offensive coordinator of the South Florida Bulls.

Jay Norvell, Colorado State: $1.5 million

After a solid five years with Nevada, Jay Norvell headed to Fort Collins to coach the Colorado State Rams. He only managed one winning season in four years, an 8-5 campaign in 2024. After a 2-5 start this season, the Rams fired Norvell and will owe him a modest buyout. Coincidentally, Norvell had 26 losses at both Nevada and Colorado State, though he won 15 more games with the Wolf Pack.