The highest-paid defensive line coaches in college football: 2025 editon (#highestpaid2025)

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Our look at the defensive backs salary market had more plus signs than a second grade math test. Nearly every Power 4 school employs two secondary coaches these days, and one of them -- typically the assistant in charge of safeties -- carries a co-coordinator or pass game coordinator title, if they're not running the defense outright. Not so up front. 

More often than not, Power 4 head coaches are entrusting their defensive line to one assistant and titling him simply as defensive line coach. If duties are split between a tackles and edges coach, one of those two typically carries a run game coordinator title. 

Our numbers found that Ohio State's Larry Johnson is the highest-paid D-line coach -- no surprise, given that he's going into his 12th season with the Buckeyes, owns two rings and has produced three NFL Rookies of the Year -- but no coach spends more on defensive line coaching than Clemson's Dabo Swinney. 

$1.4 million: Larry Johnson, Ohio State+

$1.205 million: Tray Scott, Georgia

$1.2 million: Freddie Roach, Alabama+

$1.1 million: Nick Eason, Clemson+

$1 million: Chris Rumph, Clemson+

$900,000: Rodney Garner, Tennessee

$893,000: Lou Esposito, Michigan

$775,000: Sterling Lucas, South Carolina

$750,000: Tony Tuioti, Oregon

$725,000: Randall Joyner, Ole Miss

$700,000: Todd Bates, Oklahoma+; Mark Hagen, Louisville; Jason Kaufusi, Washington; Kevin Peoples, LSU; Kyle Williams, LSU

$670,000: Kelvin Bell, Iowa

$650,000: Miguel Chavis, Oklahoma; Jess Simpson, Georgia Tech

$625,000: Pat Kuntz, Indiana

$600,000: Kenny Baker, Texas; Terrance Jamison, Illinois+; Lewis Powell, Utah; Sean Spencer, Texas A&M

$575,000: Bob Diaco, North Carolina

$550,000: Terrance Knighton, Florida State; Travarian Robertson, South Carolina; Buddha Williams, Indiana

$525,000: Anwar Stewart, Kentucky

$515,000: Charley Wiles, NC State

$505,000: Brian Early, Missouri

$500,000: Vontrell King-Williams, Auburn; JC Price, Virginia Tech

$460,000: David Turner, Mississippi State

$450,000: Tony Jerod-Eddie, Texas A&M

$425,000: Diron Reynolds, Arizona State

$410,000: Eli Rasheed, Iowa State

$400,000: Terry Bradden, Nebraska

$385,000: Jim Panagos, Kansas

$375,000: Andrew Browning, Cal; Dennis Dotten-Carter, Minnesota; Buddy Wyatt, Kansas State

$360,000: Zarnell Fitch, Texas Tech; Taiwo Onatolu, Kansas+

$350,000: Luther Elliss, Utah; Jethro Franklin, UCLA

MISSING: David Blackwell, Missouri; Gerald Chatman, Florida; George Helow, Colorado+; Corey Liuget, Maryland; Ryan Osborn, Oklahoma State; Domata Peko, Colorado; Joe Saleve'a, Arizona

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