The coaching carousel is beginning to spin, and with that current head coaches will be hired away to new jobs. One may assume that any coach hired within the past two years would be too locked into his current job to even consider leaving for a new one.
Sometimes that assumption is right. And others it's not.
Below we've gathered buyout information for 15 coaches hired within the past two years that could draw interest by schools on the market for coaching talent.
Jeff Brohm, Purdue: $5.9 million today. It rachets down to $4.9 million on Dec. 6 and $4.75 million on Jan. 1. (Purdue classified the $900,000 buyout it paid to Western Kentucky as a loan, and the school forgives $150,000 of that original amount every Dec. 31.)
Matt Campbell, Iowa State: We dove into this earlier in the fall -- Campbell's buyout is an astronomically high $9.4 million.
D.J. Durkin, Maryland: $2 million through Dec. 31, and $1 million thereafter.
Scott Frost, Central Florida: As we detailed previously, Frost's buyout is $3 million.
P.J. Fleck, Minnesota: $4.5 million. Fleck's base salary started at $1 million with a $50,000 annual increase over the course of a 5-year term.
Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech: We dove into Fuente's contract earlier this fall. Fuente would owe $6 million to Virginia Tech through Dec. 15, and $5 million thereafter.
Lane Kiffin, Florida Atlantic: $2.5 million
Seth Littrell, North Texas: Approximately $1.6 million. Littrell signed a 5-year contract that pays him a $900,000 salary in 2017 and raises him beyond $1 million in salary and incentives in 2018 and beyond. As detailed by the Denton Record-Chronicle, Littrell would owe 40 percent of the remaining contract should he leave after this season. Rounding up to $1 million a year over the four remaining years would put the buyout at $1.6 million.
Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia: $3 million
Mike Norvell, Memphis: As we outlined last week, Norvell would owe $500,000 within three months of taking another job.
Mike Sanford, Western Kentucky: $1.5 million through March 1.
Charlie Strong, South Florida: $2.5 million through Dec. 31.
Willie Taggart, Oregon: As we outlined previously, Taggart's buyout is approximately $1.36 million of his South Florida buyout plus $3 million to Oregon -- but the Oregon buyout can be paid out in installments over the life of the contract.
Justin Wilcox, Cal: $2.6955 million
Frank Wilson, UTSA: $1.2 million. In connection with an extension Wilson signed in August, his buyout increased from around $500,0000 (and around $300,000 after the new year) to $1.2 million.
