It's that time of year again.
The coaching carousel is always spinning in some form or another, but the speed at which it turns at the Power 5 level has slowed, which means it's time to reset the scoreboard heading into the fall of 2022.
This year we're starting at the back end and working our way in. The goal is to isolate the specific value of position-specific coaching at the Power 5 level, but that gets more difficult with each passing year given the proliferation of titles -- co-coordinator, passing game coordinator, assistant head coach, defensive recruiting coordinator and so on. That's not to say it's a bad thing; it is very much a good thing. Head coaches want to reward good work, and bestowing more responsibility upon an assistant clears the way for various boards of regents to approve longer and fatter contracts.
Barry Odom is the highest-paid coach who coaches defensive backs at $1.85 million -- although technically we could argue Nick Saban into that spot -- but Georgia's Fran Brown is the highest-paid coach whose only official duty is to coach defensive backs.
This is not a comprehensive list, but with close to 40 names on the list, consider it a good start. If I missed anyone, my DMs are open.
1. Barry Odom, Arkansas -- $1.85 million*
2. Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin -- $1.5 million*
3. Chris Partridge, Ole Miss -- $1.2 million*
4. Zach Arnett, Mississippi State -- $1.1 million*
4. Morgan Scalley, Utah -- $1.1 million*
4. Phil Parker, Iowa -- $1.1 million*
7. Patrick Toney, Florida -- $1 million+
8. Bryan Brown, Louisville -- $850,000*
8. Steve Clinkscale, Michigan -- $850,000+
10. Charles Kelly, Alabama -- $825,000+
11. Mickey Conn, Clemson -- $800,000+
11. Terry Joseph, Texas -- $800,000+
13. Fran Brown, Georgia -- $750,000
14. Corey Raymond, Florida -- $725,000+
15. Matt Powledge, Oregon -- $700,000+
15. Tim Walton, Ohio State -- $700,000
17. Jay Valai, Oklahoma -- $655,000+
18. Joe Lorig, Oregon -- $650,000+
19. Derek Jones, Virginia Tech -- $550,000+
19. Chuck Morrell, Washington -- $550,000+
21. TJ Rushing, Texas A&M -- $513,000
22. Tony Hughes, Mississippi State -- $500,000+
22. Marcus Woodson, Florida State -- $500,000+
22. Marcel Yates, Texas Tech -- $500,000+
25. Torrian Gray, South Carolina -- $475,000
25. ShaDon Brown, West Virginia -- $450,000+
25. Kerry Cooks, LSU -- $450,000
25. Perry Eliano, Ohio State -- $450,000
25. Travis Fisher, Nebraska -- $450,000
25. Mike Reed, Clemson -- $450,000+
25. Robert Steeples, LSU -- $450,000
32. Blake Gideon, Texas -- $425,000
32. Willie Martinez, Tennessee -- $425,000
34. Van Malone, Kansas State -- $380,000+
35. Joe DeForest, NC State -- $375,000
35. Tim Duffie, Oklahoma State -- $375,000
35. Brett Maxie, Colorado -- $375,000+
38. Chris Collins, Kentucky -- $350,000
38. Dominique Bowman, Arkansas -- $350,000
40. Zac Etheridge, Auburn -- $315,000+
41. Julius Brown, Washington -- $300,000
41. Brandon Hall, Oklahoma -- $300,000
* - defensive coordinator
+ - co-coordinator/assistant head coach/pass game coordinator/recruiting coordinator
Missing: Charlton Warren (North Carolina), Travaris Robinson (Alabama), Wesley McGriff (Louisville), John Rudzinski and Curome Cox (Virginia), Sam Carter (Ole Miss), Frank Buffano (Kentucky), Terry Smith and Anthony Poindexter (Penn State), Dan Hammerschmidt (Oklahoma State), Rod Chance (Colorado), Pierson Pierleau (Virginia Tech), Brian Mitchell (NC State), Blake Baker and Al Pogue (Missouri).
Stay tuned as we work through the landscape in the coming days and weeks. In the meantime, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.