• Loading stock data...
Monday, September 1, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

Who Is the Highest-Paid Men’s College Basketball Coach?

  • The Big Ten and SEC take up a combined 18 of the 25 spots among highest-paid coaches.
  • Twelve coaches earn at least $5 million a year.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

As one of just nine coaches in men’s college basketball history with 700-plus wins and multiple national championships, Kansas coach Bill Self (above) is in the upper echelons of the sport’s elite.

Now, he has a salary to match.

Kansas amended Self’s lifetime contract with the school to be a five-year rolling contract—with the first iteration of it paying him a reported $53 million over five years.

When he won his second national title in 2022, the 60-year-old was making $10.2 million, but due to the contract structure, his pay dropped to $8.8 million.

With the new deal, Self reclaims the title of the nation’s highest-paid men’s college basketball coach after Arkansas’ John Calipari briefly supplanted him. 

Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes round out the top five, all making over $6 million a season. 

Highest-paid College basketball Coaches of 2025

Here are the top 25 highest-paid coaches in men’s college basketball, using data from USA Today based on the 2024-25 season but taking into account coaching changes, compensation data, and the latest information.

  • Updated: March 20th, 2025
  • Will be updated again: May 2025
RankCoachSchoolTotal PayConf.
1Bill SelfKansas$8,803,800Big 12
2John CalipariArkansas$8,000,000SEC
3Dan HurleyUConn$7,775,000Big East
4Tom IzzoMichigan St$6,196,879Big Ten
5Mick CroninUCLA$6,100,000Big Ten
6Bruce PearlAuburn$5,958,852SEC
7Rick BarnesTennessee$5,800,000SEC
8Scott DrewBaylor$5,410,061Big 12
9Tommy LloydArizona$5,250,000Big 12
10Nate OatsAlabama$5,018,045SEC
T-11Mark PopeKentucky$5,000,000SEC
T-11Chris BeardOle Miss$5,000,000SEC
13Matt PainterPurdue$4,850,000Big Ten
14Brad UnderwoodIllinois$4,800,000Big Ten
15Fred HoibergNebraska$4,750,000Big Ten
16Kelvin SampsonHouston$4,604,000Big 12
17Buzz WilliamsTexas A&M$4,600,000SEC
T-18Chris JansMississippi State$4,200,000SEC
T-18Mike WoodsonIndiana$4,200,000Big Ten
20Jamie DixonTCU$4,106,441Big 12
T-21Dennis GatesMissouri$4,100,000SEC
T-21Kevin WillardMaryland$4,100,000Big Ten
23Dana AltmanOregon$4,007,000Big Ten
24Grant McCaslandTexas Tech$3,900,000Big 12
25Greg GardWisconsin$3,875,375Big Ten

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Who Are the Richest MLB Owners?

MLB owners are among the wealthiest people in the U.S.

Fox, YouTube TV Reach Deal, Avoiding CFB Blackout

Saturday’s Texas-Ohio State college football game will be fully distributed
Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field.

Coach Prime Enters Year 3 at Colorado With New Challenges

The Buffaloes have sold out their season tickets yet again.

The Next Chapter in the Network Battle for College Football Dominance

Fox and ESPN will jockey for viewers and attention at Texas–Ohio State.

Featured Today

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.

4 of 10 Highest-Paid CFB Coaches Lose in Week 1

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer was the biggest surprise of the Week 1 losers.
Ohio State mascot Brutus interacts with Lee Corso on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the College Football Playoff first round game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024.
August 29, 2025

End of an Era: Lee Corso Makes His Final ‘College GameDay’ Appearance

After 431 iconic headgear picks, the iconic coach bids farewell.
August 29, 2025

Cody Campbell Asks Congress to Allow National College Sports TV Package

The billionaire’s ad will air on ESPN and Fox this weekend.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
August 27, 2025

Fox, YouTube TV Avoid Blackout With Short-Term Deal

The upcoming Texas–Ohio State clash will remain available to subscribers.
August 27, 2025

College Football Players Projected to Earn $1.9B This Year, Nearly Double 2024

The spike comes in the first season of revenue-sharing.
Oregon State Beavers quarterback Gevani McCoy (4) scrambles out of the pocket during an NCAA football game against UNLV at Reser Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Corvallis, Ore.
August 27, 2025

Pac-12 Strikes New Football, Basketball Deal With The CW

The latest step in its resurrection after being picked apart in 2023.
Oct 17, 2015; Evanston, IL, USA; A general view of the Northwestern Wildcats logo at midfield before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Ryan Field.
August 25, 2025

Northwestern AD Singles Out Volleyball As Sport to Invest In

Northwestern athletic director Mark Jackson spoke to Front Office Sports.