Ranking the Big Ten football coach salaries for 2021
The salaries of college football head coaches have soared in recent years as schools have made massive financial commitments in hopes of building winning programs.
Several Big Ten coaches, including James Franklin, Ryan Day and Mel Tucker rank among the highest-paid coaches in the nation.
With the 2021 regular season in the books, we’re interested in which Big Ten teams got the biggest bang for their bucks in regard to head coach earnings.
Rutgers Wire ranks the earnings of the conference’s head football coaches in the list below.
[Source: USA TODAY coaching salary database]
Also see:
• Ranking the Pac-12 football coach salaries
The Big Ten Wires Network:
Michigan / Michigan St. / Ohio St. / Penn St. / Rutgers / Wisconsin
James Franklin
(Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Penn State Nittany Lions
Total pay: $7,000,000
2021 record: 7-5 (4-5 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: unknown
Ryan Day
(Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Ohio State Buckeyes
Total pay: $6,614,693
2021 record: 10-2 (8-1 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $28,416,668
Pat Fitzgerald
(Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Northwestern Wildcats
Total pay: $5,748,179
2021 record: 3-9 (1-8 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: unknown
Mel Tucker
(Lansing State Journal photo / USA TODAY Network)
Program: Michigan State Spartans
Total pay: $5,566,303
2021 record: 10-2 (7-2 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $19,284,375
Scott Frost
(Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Nebraska Cornhuskers
Total pay: $5,000,000
2021 record: 3-9 (1-8 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $20,416,667
Kirk Ferentz
(Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Iowa Hawkeyes
Total pay: $5,000,000
2021 record: 10-3 (7-2 Big Ten, division champions)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $16,503,333
P.J. Fleck
(Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Minnesota Golden Gophers
Total pay: $4,420,000
2021 record: 8-4 (6-3 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $15,851,875
Jeff Brohm
(Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Purdue Boilermakers
Total pay: $4,417,774
2021 record: 8-4 (6-3 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $18,966,667
Paul Chryst
(Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Wisconsin Badgers
Total pay: $4,362,750
2021 record: 8-4 (6-3 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $19,103,724
Tom Allen
(Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Indiana Hoosiers
Total pay: $4,260,000
2021 record: 2-10 (0-9 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $30,000,000
Bret Bielema
(Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Illinois Fighting Illini
Total pay: $4,200,000
2021 record: 5-7 (4-5 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $15,138,425
Jim Harbaugh
(Detroit Free Press photo / USA TODAY Network)
Program: Michigan Wolverines
Total pay: $4,030,901
2021 record: 12-1 (8-1 Big Ten, conference champions)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $4,444,444
Greg Schiano
(Jeremy Hogan photo / Sipa USA via AP Images)
Program: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Total pay: $4,000,000
2021 record: 5-7 (2-7 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $19,218,750
Mike Locksley
(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Maryland Terrapins
Total pay: $2,538,100
2021 record: 6-6 (3-6 Big Ten)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2021: $6,138,426
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