The Average Salary of College Coaches
College sports, particularly football and basketball, have become big business, and the salaries of coaches at college-sports powerhouses have risen accordingly. The compensation situation, unfortunately, isn't quite as sunny for coaches of other, less popular sports.
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Football
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The average salary for the head football coaches at the top 120 Division 1 schools hit $1 million in 2007, according to USA Today. These coaches also receive exceptional perks, including cars and country club memberships. Some of the top earners, counting other income, included Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops ($3.6 million total) and Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel ($2.4 million). If you only count the salary paid by the school, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz was at the top, earning over $3 million.
Basketball
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The average salary for the coaches whose teams reached the men's 2006 NCAA Tournament was approximately $800,000. The range is fairly striking: Kentucky's Tubby Smith earned about $2.1 million, while Northwestern State (La.) coach Mike McConathy earned only $99,000.
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Men's and Women's Coaches
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Just as there is a difference in the average amount of revenue brought in by men's sports as compared to women's, there is a difference in the average salary of coaches for these teams. According to Women's E News, coaches of women's teams earn only 62 percent of the average coach of men's teams.
Other Sports
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The picture is not quite as rosy for coaches of lower-profile sports. For example, Simply Hired reports that the average college swimming coach earns an annual salary of $37,000, while the average field hockey coach earns $43,000 per year.
Justification
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While these amounts may seem unfair in comparison with the average salaries of professors, adjunct teachers and other support staff, there are compelling reasons for the generous compensation awarded to big-school college coaches. The Wall Street Journal points out the Flutie Effect (so-called after Doug Flutie put Boston College on the map with his heroics against Miami during his Heisman Trophy-winning season in 1984): With a big win, your school's profile goes up, encouraging prospective students to apply. Further, big wins by the sports teams make alumni happy, which can increase the amount of money they donate to the school.
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