Time and time again, the Powers That Be that hire college football coaches -- ADs, university presidents, boards of trustees, agents, search firms -- have proven they prefer offense to defense. On the whole, this make sense. A head coach is at once a massive investment an undefined art form. No one really knows if a hire is going to be successful. Given that, it's understandable why these groups default to offense -- if nothing else, scoring points will sell tickets.
But that doesn't mean defense isn't discounted, at least at the highest level. For any 22-year-old looking to coach ball and nothing else, the numbers say he should pursue a career as a Power 5 defensive coordinator. In fact, the latest USA Today coaching salary database, released Tuesday, shows that defensive coordinators accounted for...
... 4 of the top 5
... 7 of the top 8
... 12 of the top 16
... highest paid assistant coaches. That group was primarily populated by the SEC, but the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 were all represented among the top eight.
Here is the top 25 (for purposes of documenting trends within the industry, we're ignoring pandemic-induced pay cuts and listing only what each coach was scheduled to make in 2020):
1. Steve Sarkisian, Alabama -- $2.5 million
1. Kevin Steele, Auburn -- $2.5 million
3. Brent Venables, Clemson -- $2.4 million
4. Bo Pelini, LSU -- $2.305 million
5. Mike Elko, Texas A&M -- $2.1 million
6. Todd Grantham, Florida -- $1.801 million
7. Alex Grinch, Oklahoma -- $1.8 million
8. Don Brown, Michigan -- $1.7 million
8. Mike Yurcich, Texas -- $1.7 million
10. Jim Chaney, Tennessee -- $1.6 million
10. Tony Elliott, Clemson -- $1.6 million
12. Kerry Coombs, Ohio State -- $1.4 million
13. Barry Odom, Arkansas -- $1.3 million
14. Dan Lanning, Georgia -- $1.25 million
15. Pete Golding, Alabama -- $1.225 million
16. Travaris Robinson, South Carolina -- $1.2 million
16. Mike Bobo, South Carolina -- $1.2 million
16. Kevin Wilson, Ohio State -- $1.2 million
19. Greg Mattison, Ohio State -- $1.133 million
19. Larry Johnson, Ohio State -- $1.133 million
21. Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin -- $1.128 million
22. Todd Monken, Georgia -- $1.1 million
22. Pete Kiwatkowsi, Washington -- $1.1 million
24. Derrick Ansley, Tennessee -- $1 million
25. Kendal Briles, Arkansas -- $1 million
25. Steve Ensminger, LSU -- $1 million
This year's survey included only Power 5 assistant coaches. View the full list here.