The goal of this project is to isolate, as best we can, the monetary value of elite coaching in major college football. At other positions, that gets difficult, due to a proliferation of coordinator and co-coordinator responsibilities.
For one reason or another, you won't see as many asterisks and plus signs as you do at other positions.
On the one hand, that tells you head coaches are likely lacking in doling out responsibility to their defensive line coach as compared to other position coaches.
On the other, it certainly helps us here in this corner of the college football Interent.
Larry Johnson retains his title as the highest-paid defensive line coach in college football, but the median value for elite D-line coaching seems to be $550,000, with four coaches earning that number and five more within $50,000.
The full list:
1. Larry Johnson, Ohio State -- $1.13 million+
2. Bo Davis, Texas -- $900,000
3. Elijah Robinson, Texas A&M -- $867,000+
4. Jamar Cain, LSU -- $800,000+
5. Brian Williams, Maryland -- $775,000*
6. Tray Scott, Georgia -- $760,000
7. Nick Eason, Clemson -- $750,000+
8. Freddie Roach, Alabama -- $720,000
9. Miguel Chavis, Oklahoma -- $600,000
9. Mike Elston, Michigan -- $600,000+
11. Inoke Breckterfield, Washington -- $550,000
11. Mike Dawson, Nebraska -- $550,000
11. Rodney Garner, Tennessee -- $550,000
11. Odell Haggins, Florida State -- $550,000+
11. John Papuchis, Florida State -- $550,000+
16. Terry Price, Texas A&M -- $525,000
17. Lemanski Hall, Clemson -- $500,000
17. Tony Tuioti, Oregon -- $500,000
19. JC Price, Virginia Tech -- $475,000+
20. Randall Joyner, Ole Miss -- $450,000
21. Todd Bates, Oklahoma -- $440,000+
22. Kelvin Bell, Iowa -- $425,000
22. Jeff Phelps, Mississippi State -- $425,000
24. Brick Haley, Minnesota -- $420,000
25. Deke Adams, Arkansas -- $400,000
25. Charley Wiles, NC State -- $400,000
* - Coordinator
+ - Co-coordinator/run game coordinator/assistant head coach/recruiting coordinator
PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS: Wide Receivers | Defensive Backs
Additional notes:
-- Hold up. Todd Bates left Clemson for a pay... cut? Oklahoma's associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator, run game coordinator, and defensive tackles coach (that's a lot of commas) earned $515,000 at Clemson in 2021. He's well below defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis, who was in player development at Clemson and has no additional responsibilities beyond coaching defensive ends. So what's the deal?
Bates, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and defensive coordinator Ted Roof are Brent Venables' only assistants to get 3-year deals. Everyone else got 2-year deals, including assistant head coach Cale Gundy (though the former Sooner QB essentially has a lifetime deal in Norman) and co-defensive coordinator Jay Valai. Bates's salary climbs to $665,000 in 2023 and $715,000 in '24. Bates' buddy Vinny took care of him, he'll just have to be patient.
-- Missing: Jimmy Brumbaugh (Auburn), Sean Spencer (Florida).
-- Miss anyone? My DMs are open.