:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51542435/_G9U5576e.0.0.jpg)
USA Today’s annual FBS coaching salary tracker, the much-ballyhooed table that places all 128 FBS coaches in order by salary from highest to lowest uncovers a lot of interesting nuggets.
For the first time in what feels like forever, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is not the highest-paid coach in the country. The title now belongs to Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, who will make $9,004,000 before bonuses (which could total $1,325,000.)
Needless to say, no MAC coach will probably get anywhere close to $9 million, much less $5 million. That’s not to say, however, we can’t see a MAC-affiliated $1 million/year coach in the near future.
To literally no one’s surprise, PJ Fleck of Western Michigan will be the highest paid MAC coach in fiscal year 2016, banking a cool $820,360. Fleck is also eligible for $336,000 of bonuses and has already grabbed $128,500 of said bonuses. Fleck is the 79th highest-paid coach in the country.
The lowest-paid MAC coach? Lance Leipold of Buffalo, who is set to make $405,500 this fiscal year. Leipold is also eligible for $380,000 of bonuses. Leipold ranked 116th out of the 119 coaches of public schools, though he is most likely further down on the actual list.
If you’re interested in how much your MAC-affiliated coach makes, we made this handy little table.
| MAC ranking | National Ranking | Coach (School) | Salary FY 2016 | Eligible bonuses | Earned bonuses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 79 | PJ Fleck (WMU) | $820,360 | $336,000 | $128,500 |
| 2 | 88 | Jason Candle (TOL) | $675,000 | $602,500 | -- |
| 3 | 91 | Rod Carey (NIU) | $623,000 | $205,000 | $52,500 |
| 4 | 96 | Frank Solich (Ohio) | $572,715 | $331,930 | $10,000 |
| 5 | 100 | John Bonamego (CMU) | $545,640 | $320,000 | $43,500 |
| 6 | 108 | Chuck Martin (MU) | $472,300 | $498,081 | $6,750 |
| 7 | 110 | Chris Creighton (EMU) | $434,840 | $310,000 | $0 |
| 8 | 111 | Mike Neu (BSU) | $425,000 | $370,000 | -- |
| 9 | 113 | Terry Bowden (AKR) | $411,000 | $225,000 | $30,000 |
| 10 | 114 | Mike Jinks (BGSU) | $410,000 | $245,000 | -- |
| 11 | 115 | Paul Haynes (Kent) | $405,912 | $173,000 | $12,000 |
| 12 | 116 | Lance Leipold (Buff) | $405,500 | $380,000 | -- |
Is your favorite coach overpaid? Underpaid? Tell us what you think in the comments!