USA Today: Hugh Freeze lands at No. 25 among highest-paid CFB coaches
AUBURN — According to the newly and annually released head coaching salary database compiled by USA Today, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze comes in as the 25th-highest paid coach in college football.
Freeze will be paid $6.728 million in 2024, and the list compiled by USA Today reports Freeze earned $300,000 in bonuses in 2023-24.
Freeze can earn a maximum bonus of $3.3 million each year, with the school buyout as of December 1, 2024 sitting at $20.3 million and some change. The buyout at any time is ~75% of his remaining salary. When Freeze was hired, he and the school agreed to a contract that runs through January 2029.
Last season, Freeze’s first at Auburn, he earned $6.5 million. In his last two seasons at Liberty, Freeze earned a total of $3.1 million in salary.
Currently, Freeze is the 12th-highest paid coach in the SEC, behind Kirby Smart, Steve Sarkisian, Kalen DeBoer, Brian Kelly, Mark Stoops, Lane Kiffin, Eli Drinkwitz, Josh Heupel, Brent Venables, Billy Napier and Mike Elko.
And some additional information on top of Freeze’s salary, the total amount Auburn will pay its assistant coaches decreased from 2023. Auburn will pay its assistant coaches $6.425 million in 2024 after paying $6.91 million in 2023.
Through his first 19 games at Auburn, heading into Saturday’s game at Missouri, Freeze is 8-11 while going 3-8 in SEC play, including three straight conference losses this season. Since winning three straight SEC games in October and November of last season, Auburn is just 2-7 overall.
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The bright side is on the recruiting trail, where Freeze and Co. landed the No. 8 class in 2024 and are poised to land a Top 5 class in 2025, currently sitting at No. 4 with 18 four-star commitments. Auburn landed the No. 6 transfer portal class in 2023 and No. 17 in 2024.
Earlier this week, Freeze spoke passionately about finishing strong in recruiting, pitching, “that’s the reason they should want to come is you are coming to a place that’s proven it can play for national championships. We have the resources, now let’s get the roster that rivals the ones who are playing for (championships).
“If you want an opportunity to do that in an environment that you know fits you, come be a trendsetter and let’s do something new and different. You can go to the places currently doing it or you can help restore one that’s proven it can also do it. I feel really good right now. I feel like we’re in a pretty good position, hopefully to finish strong with another top five-ish class.”
For reference when it comes to buyouts, Auburn paid Bryan Harsin more than $15 million when they fired the former Boise State coach following the 2022 season, and they paid Gus Malzahn more than $21 million when they fired the now UCF head coach after the 2020 season.
The top 30 coaches are listed below.
| Coach | School | Total Pay | Conf. | School Pay | Max Bonus | Bonuses Paid (23-24) | School Buyout (Dec. 1, 2024) | |
| 1 | Kirby Smart | Georgia | $13,282,580 | SEC | $13,003,000 | $1,775,000 | $275,000 | $118,083,333 |
| 2 | Dabo Swinney | Clemson | $11,132,775* | ACC | $11,008,575 | $1,500,000 | $175,000 | $60,000,000 |
| 3 | Steve Sarkisian | Texas | $10,600,000* | SEC | $10,600,000 | $1,850,000 | $300,000 | $55,044,583 |
| 4 | Lincoln Riley | USC | $10,043,418* | Big 10 | $10,043,418 | – | – | – |
| 5 | Ryan Day | Ohio State | $10,021,250 | Big 10 | $9,946,250 | $1,550,000 | $250,000 | $37,276,042 |
| 6 | Mike Norvell | Florida State | $10,000,000 | ACC | $10,000,000 | $1,550,000 | $750,000 | $63,778,333 |
| 7 | Kalen DeBoer | Alabama | $10,000,000* | SEC | $10,000,000 | $1,175,000 | – | $70,050,000 |
| 8 | Brian Kelly | LSU | $9,975,000* | SEC | $9,975,000 | $1,325,000 | $100,000 | $61,738,333 |
| 9 | Mark Stoops | Kentucky | $9,013,600* | SEC | $9,000,000 | $3,550,000 | $200,000 | $44,437,500 |
| 10 | Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss | $9,000,000* | SEC | $9,000,000 | $2,600,000 | $800,000 | $36,590,000 |
| 11 | Eliah Drinkwitz | Missouri | $9,000,000 | SEC | $9,000,000 | $1,300,000 | $425,000 | $28,312,500 |
| 12 | Josh Heupel | Tennessee | $9,000,000 | SEC | $9,000,000 | $1,700,000 | $200,000 | $37,500,000 |
| 13 | James Franklin | Penn State | $8,500,000* | Big 10 | $8,500,000 | $1,400,000 | $300,000 | $56,666,667 |
| 14 | Dan Lanning | Oregon | $8,200,000 | Big 10 | $8,200,000 | $1,875,000 | $450,000 | $45,366,667 |
| 15 | Brent Venables | Oklahoma | $8,152,000 | SEC | $8,150,000 | $1,385,000 | $25,000 | $44,808,333 |
| 16 | Mario Cristobal | Miami (FL) | $7,783,059* | ACC | $7,783,059 | – | – | – |
| 17 | Mike Gundy | Oklahoma State | $7,750,000* | Big 12 | $7,750,000 | $1,000,000 | $125,000 | $25,359,375 |
| 18 | Luke Fickell | Wisconsin | $7,725,000 | Big 10 | $7,725,000 | $1,450,000 | $0 | $40,186,667 |
| 19 | Jedd Fisch | Washington | $7,700,023* | Big 10 | $7,700,023 | $1,550,000 | – | $40,239,960 |
| 20 | Lance Leipold | Kansas | $7,500,000* | Big 12 | $7,500,000 | $1,125,000 | $275,000 | $27,800,000 |
| 21 | Billy Napier | Florida | $7,370,000 | SEC | $7,120,000 | $1,600,000 | $100,000 | $26,704,167 |
| 22 | Jonathan Smith | Michigan State | $7,250,000* | Big 10 | $7,250,000 | $1,785,000 | – | $39,787,083 |
| 23 | Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | $7,000,000* | Big 10 | $7,000,000 | $2,500,000 | $575,000 | $31,000,000 |
| 24 | Mike Elko | Texas A&M | $7,000,000* | SEC | $7,000,000 | $3,800,000 | – | $27,124,985 |
| 25 | Hugh Freeze | Auburn | $6,728,100 | SEC | $6,725,000 | $3,300,000 | $300,000 | $20,312,500 |
| 26 | P.J. Fleck | Minnesota | $6,700,000* | Big 10 | $6,700,000 | $1,450,000 | $150,000 | $23,302,500 |
| 27 | Pat Narduzzi | Pittsburgh | $6,699,551 | ACC | $6,699,551 | – | – | – |
| 28 | Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame | $6,687,754* | IndFBS | $6,687,754 | – | – | – |
| 29 | Bret Bielema | Illinois | $6,650,000 | Big 10 | $6,650,000 | $1,600,000 | $150,000 | $29,125,000 |
| 30 | Kyle Whittingham | Utah | $6,525,000* | Big 12 | $6,525,000 | $1,800,000 | $325,000 | $9,250,000 |
