We're not far from our first $1 million running backs coach.
The running back position has long been a majority Black position on college coaching staffs and, due to a myriad of reasons, is the position on the offensive side of the ball without an asterisk on our list -- not a single coach you see below is a sole coordinator for his offense. But the numbers are still climbing.
LSU's Frank Wilson leads that climb.
A New Orleans native and a former two-way player at Nicholls, Wilson has been a Louisiana fixture for nearly three decades now. He spent six seasons as Les Miles's running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, left to become the head coach at UTSA, and then left the head coaching job at McNeese to join Brian Kelly's new staff as his running backs coach and associate head coach. In the process, he netted a 3-year deal that starts at $900,000 and hits $1 million by the 2024 season.
Georgia's Dell McGee, last year's leader at $800,000, could very well be ahead of Wilson. FootballScoop has learned of at least one Georgia assistant sitting on a post-title raise, and it would be a surprise if McGee, an original member of Kirby Smart's staff, wasn't in line for his own championship bump.
Ohio State's Tony Alford also got a new title (run game coordinator) to go along with a $137,000 raise. So the money is there for elite running backs coaching; here's hoping the responsibility follows.
1. Frank Wilson, LSU -- $900,000+
2. Dell McGee, Georgia -- $800,000+
3. Tony Alford, Ohio State -- $750,000+
4. Tommie Robinson, Texas A&M -- $575,000
5. Robert Gillespie, Alabama -- $565,000
6. Curtis Luper, Missouri -- $550,000
7. Mike Hart, Michigan -- $500,000+
7. Stu Holt, Virginia Tech -- $500,000+
7. David Johnson, Florida State -- $500,000+
7. Kenny Perry, Texas Tech -- $500,000+
7. Larry Porter, North Carolina -- $500,000+
12. John Settle, Kentucky -- $475,000+
13. CJ Spiller, Clemson -- $450,000
14. Chad Scott, West Virginia -- $430,000+
15. Marquel Blackwell, Ole Miss -- $400,000
15. Kenni Burns, Minnesota -- $400,000+
15. Jerry Mack, Tennessee -- $400,000
15. Lee Marks, Washington -- $400,000
15. DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma -- $400,000
20. Montario Hardesty, South Carolina -- $375,000
20. Kurt Roper, NC State -- $375,000
20. Jason Washington, Mississippi State -- $375,000
23. Craig Johnson, Indiana -- $350,000+
23. Cory Patterson, Illinois -- $350,000
23. Carnell Williams, Auburn -- $350,000
23. John Wozniak, Oklahoma State -- $350,000
+ - associate/assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator/run game coordinator/recruiting coordinator
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Missing: Tashard Choice (Texas); Jabbar Juluke (Florida); Mike Daniels (Georgia Tech); Keith Gaither (Virginia); Al Johnson (Wisconsin); Mark Atuaia (Washington State); Quinton Ganther (Utah)