Ranking the Pac-12 football head coach salaries for 2022
The highest-paid public employee in the majority of states is a college football head coach.
Year after year, college athletic programs haul in an exorbitant amount of money, and a good chunk of it goes to the people in charge. The Pac-12 Conference is no different with each of its current head coaches locked into multi-million dollar contracts through the university.
While you can argue that many are overpaid, it’s a difficult job and one that brings little security, as Herm Edwards and Karl Dorrell know well.
According to the USA TODAY Sports head coach salary database, below is how much each Pac-12 head coach is making in 2022, including buyout details:
12: (TIED) JEDD FISCH
Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports
Program: Arizona Wildcats
Total pay: $2,700,000
2022 record: 3-3 (1-2 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: $5,200,000
12: (TIED) Jake Dickert
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Program: Washington State Cougars
Total pay: $2,700,000
2022 record: 4-2 (1-2 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: $3,712,500
10: Kalen DeBoer
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Program: Washington Huskies
Total pay: $3,100,008
2022 record: 4-2 (1-2 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: $13,916,700
9: KARL DORRELL (FIRED)
(Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Program: Colorado Buffaloes
Total pay: $3,600,000
2022 record at time of firing: 0-5 (0-2 Pac-12)
Buyout: Exact unknown
8: JONATHAN SMITH
(James Snook-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: Oregon State Beavers
Total pay: $3,750,000
2022 record: 4-2 (1-2 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: $13,072,500
7: HERM EDWARDS (FIRED)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Program: Arizona State Sun Devils
Total pay: $3,900,000
2022 record at time of firing: 1-2 (0-0 Pac-12)
Buyout: Exact unknown
6: JUSTIN WILCOX
(Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: California Golden Bears
Total pay: $4,200,000
2022 record: 3-2 (1-1 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: $25,108,333
5: DAN LANNING
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Program: Oregon Ducks
Total pay: $4,700,000
2022 record: 5-1 (3-0 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: $17,686,667
4: CHIP KELLY
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Program: UCLA Bruins
Total pay: $5,600,000
2022 record: 6-0 (3-0 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: $4,223,333
3: KYLE WHITTINGHAM
(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Program: UTAH Utes
Total pay: $6,000,000
2022 record: 4-2 (2-1 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: $15,250,000
2: DAVID SHAW
Oct 16, 2021; Pullman, Washington, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw talks with an official after a play against the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Program: Stanford Cardinal
Total pay: $6,592,230
2022 record: 1-4 (0-4 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: Unknown
1: (ESTIMATED) LINCOLN RILEY
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Program: USC Trojans
Total pay: Unknown
2022 record: 6-0 (4-0 Pac-12)
Buyout as of Dec. 1, 2022: Unknown
Note: USC did not release Riley’s salary information
