Bama gives DeBoer top-5 annual salary at $10.9M

Chris Low, ESPN Senior WriterMar 18, 2024, 07:49 PM ET
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- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduate of the University of Tennessee

First-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer will make an average of $10.875 million per year, ranking him in the top five nationally among the highest-paid coaches in college football.

His eight-year contract was approved Monday by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees, and DeBoer will make $10 million in the first year of his deal that will run through Dec. 31, 2031. His compensation will increase $250,000 per year and grow to $11.75 million in the final year of the deal.

DeBoer’s contract is 90 percent guaranteed if he were to be fired without cause, and there is no mitigation. His buyout if he were to leave Alabama before his contract is up is $5 million in 2024, $4 million in 2025, $3 million in 2026 and nothing from 2027-31.

DeBoer’s average salary ranks fourth among all college football head coaches, industry sources told ESPN. Clemson‘s Dabo Swinney is at the top with an average annual salary of $11.5 million. Georgia‘s Kirby Smart and USC‘s Lincoln Riley are also over the $11 million figure annually. DeBoer is fourth ($10.875 million) followed by Texas‘ Steve Sarkisian ($10.64 million) and Florida State‘s Mike Norvell ($10.52 million).

Sarkisian and Norvell both agreed to new deals taking them over the $10 million mark in January about the time of DeBoer’s hiring. DeBoer made $4.2 million last season at Washington in leading the Huskies to the national championship game. Washington athletic director Troy Dannen said he offered DeBoer $9.4 million after the Sugar Bowl, but DeBoer rejected that offer to become Alabama’s coach and replace Nick Saban.

Saban, who retired on Jan. 10 after winning six national championships in 17 seasons at Alabama, was scheduled to make $11.5 million in 2024.

In other salary news for Alabama assistant coaches, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack will make $1.55 million in 2024, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan $1.35 million, co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard $1.1 million, associate head coach/defensive line coach Freddie Roach $1 million, strength coach David Ballou $950,000, assistant head coach/running backs coach Robert Gillespie $850,000, co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist $875,000, offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic $875,000, outside linebackers coach Christian Robinson $650,000, co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Colin Hitschler $625,000, tight ends coach Bryan Ellis $550,000, general manager Courtney Morgan $500,000 and special teams coordinator Jay Nunez $250,000.