USA Today, authors of the great head coaching salary database, on Wednesday released its second annual assistant coaching salary database.
Top of the list? Longtime Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, who jumped from roughly half a million bucks a year to $1.3695 million big ones. Why the jump? Let Hokies beat writer Andy Bitter explain.
Here's how the top 15 shakes out:
We've broken out the five highest-paid assistants by conference below. (All figures rounded to the nearest thousand.)
ACC
1. Bud Foster, Virginia Tech - $1.369 million
2. Chad Morris, Clemson - $1.3 million
3. Todd Grantham, Louisville - $975,000
4. Brent Venables, Clemson - $875,000
5. Tom O'Brien, Virginia - $757,000
Big 12
1. Phil Bennett, Baylor - $897,000
2. Mike Stoops, Oklahoma - $856,000
3. Vance Bedford, Texas - $800,000
4. Shawn Watson, Texas - $650,000
5. Josh Huepel, Oklahoma - $612,000
Big Ten
1. Pat Narduzzi, Michigan State - $907,000
2. Greg Mattison, Michigan - $888,000
3. Doug Nussmeier, Michigan - $830,000
4. Tim Beck, Nebraska - $715,000
5. Mike Locksley, Maryland - $632,000
Pac-12
1. Mike Norvell, Arizona State - $901,000
2. Adrian Klemm, UCLA - $660,000
3. Art Kaufman, California - $572,000
4. Tony Franklin, California - $553,000
5. Noel Mazzone, UCLA - $531,000
SEC
1. Kirby Smart, Alabama - $1.355 million
2. Cam Cameron, LSU - $1.315 million
3. John Chavis, LSU - $1.312 million
4. Jeremy Pruitt, Georgia - $851,000
5. Ellis Johnson, Auburn - $850,000
American
1. David Gibbs, Houston - $400,000
2. Barry Odom, Memphis - $372,000
3. Chuck Bresnahan, South Florida - $353,000
4. Eddie Gran, Cincinnati - $350,000
5. Brent Guy, Tulsa - $308,000
Conference USA
1. Nick Holt, Western Kentucky - $303,000
2. Tyrone Nix, Middle Tennessee - $287,000
3. Chuck Heater, Marshall - $202,000
4. Bill Legg, Marshall - $201,000
5. Tony Petersen, Louisiana Tech - $200,000
MAC
1. Chuck Amato, Akron - $199,000
2. Tom Masella, Massachusetts - $194,000
3. Jon Heacock, Toledo - $175,000
4. Jay Niemann, Northern Illinois - $168,000
5. Kevin Kelly, Ball State - $145,000
Mountain West
1. Marcel Yates, Boise State - $317,000
2. Mike Sanford, Boise State - $305,000
3. Scott Huff, Boise State - $270,000
4. Kent Riddle, Boise State - $250,000
5. Dave Baldwin, Colorado State - $240,000
Sun Belt
1. Walt Bell, Arkansas State - $205,000
2. Glen Elarbee, Arkansas State - $200,000
3. Jay Johnson, Louisiana-Lafayette - $190,000
4. Gregg Brandon, New Mexico State - $181,000
5. Nate Woody, Appalachian State - $175,000
A number of schools did not report salary information: Tulane, Temple, SMU (American); Syracuse, Miami, Duke, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Boston College (ACC); TCU, Baylor - non-coordinators only (Big 12); Penn State, Northwestern (Big Ten); Rice (C-USA); Navy, Notre Dame, BYU (Independents); Air Force, Hawaii (MW); Stanford, USC (Pac-12); Vanderbilt (SEC).