USA Today has compiled a database of Head Coach (and some assistant coaches) salaries. I’m not sure how reliable the data is . . . Paterno’s salary doubled from $512,664 to $1,097,767 and Charlie Weis’s salary is posted at an anemic $640,851. There are several schools with no data listed, including Boston College, BYU, Duke, Miami (FL), Northwestern, Stanford, Syracuse, Tulane and Vanderbilt.
The highest listed salary is Pete Carroll at USC: $4,386,652
The lowest is Charlie Weatherbee at La-Monroe: $160,000. That’s probably more than he was making as principal of Archie’s Riverdale High School!
But does paying higher salaries translate into more wins? Here’s how things look in 2009–year to date–calculating the cost of each win based on these published salaries. As noted above, there is no data for some teams, and four teams have no wins, so the cost per win is essentially infinity or undefined–division by zero.
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For BCS ranked teams, Houston is the best deal per win at $93,750 per win to date. Pitt is next and is actually a better deal than Boise State.
| TEAM | wins | HC Salary | Cost per Win |
|---|---|---|---|
| La.-Monroe | 5 | $160,000 | $32,000 |
| Idaho | 7 | $258,187 | $36,884 |
| Kent St. | 5 | $190,000 | $38,000 |
| Central Mich. | 7 | $308,450 | $44,064 |
| La.-Lafayette | 5 | $226,000 | $45,200 |
| Troy | 7 | $320,899 | $45,843 |
| Middle Tenn. | 6 | $281,655 | $46,943 |
| Northern Ill. | 6 | $344,773 | $57,462 |
| Navy | 7 | $468,464 | $66,923 |
| Temple | 7 | $505,000 | $72,143 |
| Marshall | 5 | $367,795 | $73,559 |
| Bowling Green | 4 | $301,000 | $75,250 |
| Nevada | 5 | $377,505 | $75,501 |
| Ohio | 6 | $456,000 | $76,000 |
| Toledo | 4 | $360,000 | $90,000 |
| Houston | 8 | $750,000 | $93,750 |
| Western Mich. | 4 | $379,000 | $94,750 |
| Notre Dame | 6 | $640,851 | $106,809 |
| Arkansas St. | 2 | $220,162 | $110,081 |
| UNLV | 4 | $443,100 | $110,775 |
| UAB | 4 | $471,800 | $117,950 |
| Pittsburgh | 8 | $979,288 | $122,411 |
| Akron | 2 | $246,292 | $123,146 |
| Boise St. | 9 | $1,123,150 | $124,794 |
| New Mexico St. | 3 | $375,000 | $125,000 |
| West Virginia | 7 | $878,000 | $125,429 |
| Air Force | 6 | $776,500 | $129,417 |
| Army | 3 | $400,000 | $133,333 |
| Buffalo | 3 | $401,300 | $133,767 |
| Louisiana Tech | 3 | $405,000 | $135,000 |
| Clemson | 6 | $816,850 | $136,142 |
| Penn St. | 8 | $1,097,767 | $137,221 |
| North Texas | 2 | $279,963 | $139,982 |
| Southern Miss. | 5 | $736,102 | $147,220 |
| Wyoming | 4 | $601,730 | $150,433 |
| Utah | 8 | $1,207,500 | $150,938 |
| Cincinnati | 9 | $1,362,500 | $151,389 |
| Oregon St. | 6 | $950,000 | $158,333 |
| Fresno St. | 6 | $963,506 | $160,584 |
| UTEP | 3 | $488,666 | $162,889 |
| Indiana | 4 | $658,750 | $164,688 |
| San Diego St. | 4 | $676,800 | $169,200 |
| Utah St. | 2 | $352,400 | $176,200 |
| Iowa St. | 5 | $950,000 | $190,000 |
| Fla. Atlantic | 2 | $383,338 | $191,669 |
| Tulsa | 4 | $769,264 | $192,316 |
| Minnesota | 5 | $1,000,000 | $200,000 |
| TCU | 9 | $1,800,000 | $200,000 |
| FIU | 2 | $403,000 | $201,500 |
| Purdue | 4 | $825,000 | $206,250 |
| Arizona | 6 | $1,265,000 | $210,833 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | $1,481,506 | $211,644 |
| Oregon | 7 | $1,500,000 | $214,286 |
| Colorado St. | 3 | $700,000 | $233,333 |
| Baylor | 4 | $943,830 | $235,958 |
| SMU | 5 | $1,206,368 | $241,274 |
| Georgia Tech | 9 | $2,300,000 | $255,556 |
| Oklahoma St. | 7 | $1,800,000 | $257,143 |
| UCF | 5 | $1,312,625 | $262,525 |
| South Fla. | 6 | $1,600,000 | $266,667 |
| East Carolina | 5 | $1,382,863 | $276,573 |
| North Carolina | 6 | $1,702,000 | $283,667 |
| Auburn | 7 | $2,050,000 | $292,857 |
| Miami (OH) | 1 | $300,000 | $300,000 |
| Mississippi St. | 4 | $1,200,000 | $300,000 |
| North Carolina St. | 4 | $1,200,000 | $300,000 |
| Kansas St. | 6 | $1,850,000 | $308,333 |
| Nebraska | 6 | $1,852,000 | $308,667 |
| UCLA | 4 | $1,276,000 | $319,000 |
| Kentucky | 5 | $1,617,517 | $323,503 |
| Colorado | 3 | $1,000,570 | $333,523 |
| Iowa | 9 | $3,024,500 | $336,056 |
| South Carolina | 6 | $2,031,500 | $338,583 |
| Texas | 9 | $3,060,500 | $340,056 |
| Rutgers | 6 | $2,070,932 | $345,155 |
| Ball St. | 1 | $350,000 | $350,000 |
| Virginia Tech | 6 | $2,138,000 | $356,333 |
| Texas A&M | 5 | $1,801,651 | $360,330 |
| Michigan St. | 5 | $1,811,260 | $362,252 |
| Connecticut | 4 | $1,450,000 | $362,500 |
| Arizona St. | 4 | $1,502,643 | $375,661 |
| Hawaii | 3 | $1,138,504 | $379,501 |
| Tennessee | 5 | $2,000,000 | $400,000 |
| Louisville | 3 | $1,216,000 | $405,333 |
| Mississippi | 6 | $2,509,000 | $418,167 |
| Alabama | 9 | $3,900,000 | $433,333 |
| Florida | 9 | $4,000,000 | $444,444 |
| Texas Tech | 6 | $2,700,000 | $450,000 |
| San Jose St. | 1 | $457,820 | $457,820 |
| Kansas | 5 | $2,303,500 | $460,700 |
| Memphis | 2 | $925,000 | $462,500 |
| Ohio St. | 8 | $3,722,000 | $465,250 |
| California | 6 | $2,807,500 | $467,917 |
| Illinois | 3 | $1,505,000 | $501,667 |
| Michigan | 5 | $2,521,000 | $504,200 |
| Missouri | 5 | $2,525,000 | $505,000 |
| LSU | 7 | $3,751,000 | $535,857 |
| Wake Forest | 4 | $2,172,127 | $543,032 |
| Arkansas | 5 | $2,858,000 | $571,600 |
| Florida St. | 4 | $2,319,375 | $579,844 |
| Washington St. | 1 | $600,100 | $600,100 |
| Washington | 3 | $1,833,333 | $611,111 |
| Georgia | 5 | $3,096,576 | $619,315 |
| Southern California | 7 | $4,386,652 | $626,665 |
| Virginia | 3 | $2,072,339 | $690,780 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | $4,303,000 | $860,600 |
| Maryland | 2 | $1,877,095 | $938,548 |
| Boston College | 6 | ||
| BYU | 7 | ||
| Duke | 5 | ||
| Miami (FL) | 7 | ||
| Northwestern | 6 | ||
| Stanford | 6 | ||
| Syracuse | 3 | ||
| Tulane | 3 | ||
| Vanderbilt | 2 | ||
| Eastern Mich. | 0 | $300,000 | #DIV/0! |
| New Mexico | 0 | $750,650 | #DIV/0! |
| Rice | 0 | $476,842 | #DIV/0! |
| Western Ky. | 0 | $259,808 | #DIV/0! |
Here’s how the BCS teams compare:
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| Cost Rank | Team | Wins | HC Salary | Cost per Win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | Florida | 9 | $4,000,000 | $444,444 |
| 87 | Alabama | 9 | $3,900,000 | $433,333 |
| 75 | Texas | 9 | $3,060,500 | $340,056 |
| 49 | TCU | 9 | $1,800,000 | $200,000 |
| 38 | Cincinnati | 9 | $1,362,500 | $151,389 |
| 25 | Boise St. | 9 | $1,123,150 | $124,794 |
| 58 | Georgia Tech | 9 | $2,300,000 | $255,556 |
| 98 | LSU | 7 | $3,751,000 | $535,857 |
| 105 | Southern California | 7 | $4,386,652 | $626,665 |
| 73 | Iowa | 9 | $3,024,500 | $336,056 |
| 93 | Ohio St. | 8 | $3,722,000 | $465,250 |
| 23 | Pittsburgh | 8 | $979,288 | $122,411 |
| 54 | Oregon | 7 | $1,500,000 | $214,286 |
| N/A | Miami (FL) | 7 | ||
| 17 | Houston | 8 | $750,000 | $93,750 |
| 37 | Utah | 8 | $1,207,500 | $150,938 |
| 52 | Arizona | 6 | $1,265,000 | $210,833 |
| 33 | Penn St. | 8 | $1,097,767 | $137,221 |
| 59 | Oklahoma St. | 7 | $1,800,000 | $257,143 |
| 53 | Wisconsin | 7 | $1,481,506 | $211,644 |
| 78 | Virginia Tech | 6 | $2,138,000 | $356,333 |
| N/A | BYU | 7 | ||
| 39 | Oregon St. | 6 | $950,000 | $158,333 |
| 61 | South Fla. | 6 | $1,600,000 | $266,667 |
| 27 | West Virginia | 7 | $878,000 | $125,429 |
| AVERAGE | $2,090,320 | $270,365 |
The average cost of a BCS win is $270,365! (To date–these numbers will go down as the win total increases.)
