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It pays to be an SEC assistant coach.
No, SEC assistants don’t make the $4 million plus of every SEC West head coach. But several coordinators are making money previously reserved only for well-established power-conference head coaches.
Seven of the 10 highest-paid college football assistants coach in the SEC, including five defensive coordinators.
10 HIGHEST-PAID COLLEGE FOOTBALL ASSISTANTS, 2015*
| Coach | School/Main Title | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Will Muschamp | Auburn defensive coordinator | $1.6 million |
| T2. Kirby Smart | Alabama defensive coordinator | $1.5 million |
| T2. John Chavis | Texas A&M defensive coordinator | $1.5 million |
| T2. Cam Cameron | LSU offensive coordinator | $1.5 million |
| 5. Todd Grantham | Louisville defensive coordinator | $1.4 million |
| 6. Brent Venables | Clemson defensive coordinator | $1.35 million |
| 7. Jeremy Pruitt | Georgia defensive coordinator | $1.3 million |
| 8. Kevin Steele | LSU defensive coordinator | $1 million |
| 9. Brian Schottenheimer | Georgia offensive coordinator | $950,000 |
| T10. Bud Foster | Virginia Tech defensive coordinator | $900,000 |
| T10. Mike Norvell | Arizona State offensive coordinator | $900,000 |
*All data courtesy of CoachingSearch.com.
The SEC also compensates position coaches very well.
With the exception of offensive line, the SEC claims one or two of the three highest-paid coaches at every position. Note that several of these coaches hold additional titles like special teams coach or associate head coach.
OFFENSIVE LINE
| Coach | School | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adrian Klemm | UCLA | $723,000 |
| 2. Rick Trickett | Florida State | $583,000 |
| 3. Joe Wickline | Texas | $575,000 |
DEFENSIVE LINE
| Coach | School | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Greg Mattison | Michigan | $700,000 |
| 2. Rodney Garner | Auburn | $600,000 |
| 3. Ron Aiken | Oregon | $500,000 |
RUNNING BACKS
| Coach | School | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Frank Wilson | LSU | $660,000 |
| 2. Clarence McKinney | Texas A&M | $458,000 |
| 3. Jay Graham | Florida State | $403,000 |
RECEIVERS
| Coach | School | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Dameyune Craig | Auburn | $500,000 |
| Lawrence Dawsey | Florida State | $463,000 |
| Bryan McClendon | Georgia | $400,000 |
DEFENSIVE BACKS
| Coach | School | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mel Tucker | Alabama | $500,000 |
| 2. Brian Stewart | Nebraska | $400,000 |
| 3. Demetrice Martin | UCLA | $385,000 |
TIGHT ENDS
| Coach | School | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bobby Williams | Alabama | $440,840 |
| 2. Tim Brewster | Florida State | $433,000 |
| 3. Tom Osborne | Oregon | $367,584 |
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
