Gus Malzahn, Auburn ($4.7 million)
Malzahn was another coach whose job status didn’t seem completely secure last year, but now Auburn is well-positioned for a run at the College Football Playoff. An Iron Bowl win over Alabama would put the Tigers in control of their own destiny after they thrashed Georgia last week. Malzahn is fairly well compensated at $4.7 million, but he has Auburn ready to go toe-to-toe with the Crimson Tide once again. For the Tigers, that’s worth its weight in gold.
Mike Norvell, Memphis ($1.9 million)
The Tigers are paying Norvell less than $2 million a year, and he’s delivered them a shot at an AAC title. Central Florida is the only team that has beaten them, and if they handle their business, Memphis will get a second shot at them in the conference championship game. Norvell himself will probably be a candidate for some coaching openings and is in line for a pay hike sooner rather than later. For that reason, Memphis will have a hard time holding on to him.
Gary Patterson, TCU ($5.1 million)
Patterson makes a pretty penny — his salary is in the top ten — and yet it could be argued that he still doesn’t get enough appreciation. Patterson was able to smoothly take TCU from Conference USA, to the Mountain West, to the Big 12, in the span of 15 years without missing a beat. The Horned Frogs have once again gone toe-to-toe with the big boys in Oklahoma and found success. They appear to be in line for their third double-digit win season since joining the Big 12 for the 2012 season. Even if the playoff probably isn’t happening this year, Patterson deserves a ton of credit.
Mark Richt, Miami ($4 million — reported)
Did anyone have Richt turning the Hurricanes around this quickly? Miami is firmly in control of their own Playoff destiny now, and the opportunity to enter the field unbeaten is very real. After 10 years in the relative wilderness, the Hurricanes are indisputably back — just ask Paul Finebaum — and a blowout of Notre Dame has the optimism at a new high. Richt is reportedly making $4 million at Miami, but you can bet that to the school at this point, he’s priceless.
Kirby Smart, Georgia ($3.8 million)
The Bulldogs can still make the College Football Playoff, but they’ll have to win-out and beat Alabama or Auburn in the SEC title game. Still, in only his second season in charge, Smart has Georgia tantalizingly close to a shot at the championship. Georgia couldn’t always say that under his predecessor, Mark Richt. Smart has breathed new life into the program, and it says a lot that they would have a very real chance against the Crimson Tide if that matchup were to happen.
Charlie Strong, South Florida ($1 million)
Strong more or less had to reset his coaching career after his unsuccessful spell at Texas, but he was fortunate enough to find a pretty soft landing at one of the country’s better Group of Five programs. South Florida still has a chance at an AAC title if they can overcome UCF, and their 8-1 season is impressive by any measure. The fact that Strong is doing this for only $1 million (he comes cheap thanks to his Texas buyout) is even better. He’s proven quite the value for the Bulls in 2017.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson ($8.5 million)
Just to prove how good of a coach Swinney is, consider that Clemson lost an incredible talent in Deshaun Watson, and has still managed to remain in contention for the College Football Playoff. With Kelly Bryant at QB, Clemson has beaten the likes of Auburn, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and NC State — the latter three on the road. All four teams were ranked in the top 20 before Clemson got done with them. They’re headed for a collision with Miami in the ACC title game, and a third straight Playoff appearance is well in site. A team that was once always on the brink of greatness but couldn’t get over the hump under Tommy Bowden has become one of the best and most consistent programs under Swinney’s watch.
Nick Saban, Alabama ($11.1 million)
Death, taxes, and Alabama Football. There are few things guaranteed in life, but Nick Saban having Alabama contending for a national championship each year is among them. Saban has been at Bama for just over a decade. He needed just two season to get them competitive and went 12-2 in his second season in Tuscaloosa. Since then, he’s never won fewer than 10 games in a season, nor lost more than three. He’s won four national titles, has reached No. 1 in every season since ’08, and finished each of the last 10 seasons ranked inside the AP top 10. His relentless pursuit of excellence has resulted in Alabama bringing in strong recruiting classes every year, restocking their coaching ranks, and being well-prepared for every single opponent. Several SEC coaches losing their jobs because they simply cannot match up to him. Saban may make a lot of money, but just being able to know that the team will contend for a national title every single year is worth any price for Alabama. This season could mark their third straight trip to the national championship game.
