Head coaches of Northwestern University's men’s teams earn an average of $824,724 annually – the 53rd highest average salary in the nation – according to a North Cook News analysis of federal education data.
The analysis found that the university had the equivalent of 8.5 full-time head coaches on staff for its men’s teams.
The U.S. Department of Education’s office of postsecondary education collects athletics data annually from all institutions with intercollegiate athletics programs that receive funding through federal financial aid programs. Data for 2016 – the latest year available – includes more than 2,000 schools nationwide.
Top 200: Colleges that pay men’s head coaches the most
School | State | Division | Total Undergraduates | Men's Team Average Annual Institutional Salary per FTE | Men's Team Number of FTEs Included in Average |
The University of Alabama | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 29,071 | $2,607,845 | 6 |
Baylor University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 14,087 | $1,948,076 | 5.41 |
Texas A & M University-College Station | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 44,975 | $1,754,983 | 6.5 |
University of Kentucky | KY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 20,772 | $1,748,081 | 7 |
Florida State University | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 29,051 | $1,646,761 | 6 |
University of Mississippi | MS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 17,649 | $1,601,426 | 5.5 |
Mississippi State University | MS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 16,134 | $1,598,568 | 5.5 |
University of Miami | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 10,102 | $1,569,673 | 4.7 |
Auburn University | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 20,260 | $1,567,784 | 6.02 |
Texas Christian University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 8,591 | $1,545,292 | 6 |
University of Louisville | KY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 12,325 | $1,545,091 | 7.5 |
University of Kansas | KS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 16,987 | $1,542,896 | 4.5 |
Vanderbilt University | TN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 6,808 | $1,539,541 | 5.25 |
The University of Texas at Austin | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 37,026 | $1,535,717 | 6.5 |
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | LA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 23,036 | $1,433,477 | 6.5 |
Clemson University | SC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 17,849 | $1,424,370 | 6.5 |
University of Arkansas | AR | NCAA Division I-FBS | 19,774 | $1,358,965 | 6 |
University of Florida | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 30,583 | $1,357,524 | 6 |
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,218 | $1,356,528 | 7.5 |
University of Colorado Boulder | CO | NCAA Division I-FBS | 25,692 | $1,336,516 | 4 |
University of Oregon | OR | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,309 | $1,305,311 | 5.5 |
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | PA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,129 | $1,301,935 | 6 |
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | TN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 20,719 | $1,276,368 | 6 |
University of Georgia | GA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 26,252 | $1,238,550 | 6 |
Kansas State University | KS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 17,562 | $1,226,218 | 4.5 |
University of Utah | UT | NCAA Division I-FBS | 17,081 | $1,200,775 | 6.5 |
University of Arizona | AZ | NCAA Division I-FBS | 29,049 | $1,168,808 | 7 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 28,165 | $1,153,015 | 7.5 |
Iowa State University | IA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 28,791 | $1,150,211 | 4.5 |
Texas Tech University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 26,588 | $1,145,810 | 5.5 |
West Virginia University | WV | NCAA Division I-FBS | 20,524 | $1,132,494 | 7 |
University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | NCAA Division I-FBS | 24,060 | $1,110,324 | 6 |
Michigan State University | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 35,280 | $1,084,041 | 9 |
Washington State University | WA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 21,534 | $1,080,569 | 4.5 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 25,175 | $1,041,392 | 7.75 |
University of Iowa | IA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 20,690 | $1,020,219 | 8 |
University of Connecticut | CT | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,538 | $1,017,483 | 8.5 |
Duke University | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 6,449 | $991,546 | 9.5 |
University of California-Los Angeles | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 30,329 | $979,416 | 8.5 |
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | GA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 13,698 | $945,922 | 6.5 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 27,833 | $933,743 | 12.5 |
University of Virginia-Main Campus | VA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 15,420 | $920,291 | 9 |
Syracuse University | NY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 14,324 | $907,719 | 5.5 |
Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 29,301 | $898,047 | 7.5 |
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | OK | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,330 | $894,247 | 6.5 |
University of Maryland-College Park | MD | NCAA Division I-FBS | 26,174 | $890,841 | 7.5 |
University of Tulsa | OK | NCAA Division I-FBS | 3,248 | $882,859 | 4.5 |
Arizona State University-Tempe | AZ | NCAA Division I-FBS | 38,761 | $852,262 | 8 |
University of Southern California | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,070 | $836,935 | 7.5 |
Oregon State University | OR | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,395 | $835,752 | 7 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 41,666 | $826,208 | 13.5 |
Northwestern University | IL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 8,249 | $824,724 | 8.5 |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln | NE | NCAA Division I-FBS | 19,381 | $801,908 | 7.5 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 28,201 | $792,581 | 9 |
Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 31,884 | $785,841 | 8.5 |
University of Houston | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 25,399 | $765,123 | 4.5 |
Wake Forest University | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 4,899 | $751,668 | 6.5 |
Villanova University | PA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 6,469 | $741,859 | 7.5 |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | IL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 32,126 | $740,045 | 8 |
Wichita State University | KS | NCAA Division I without football | 8,566 | $717,359 | 5 |
North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 20,818 | $711,628 | 8.5 |
Southern Methodist University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 6,294 | $711,142 | 6.5 |
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 39,883 | $697,984 | 12.5 |
Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | NCAA Division I-FBS | 33,939 | $697,489 | 8 |
Colorado State University-Fort Collins | CO | NCAA Division I-FBS | 21,211 | $693,125 | 4 |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 17,828 | $677,174 | 9.5 |
Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 6,487 | $674,770 | 4.5 |
University of Memphis | TN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 12,372 | $663,043 | 6.5 |
University of Central Florida | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 38,228 | $657,372 | 6 |
Georgetown University | DC | NCAA Division I-FCS | 6,874 | $644,494 | 8.5 |
Providence College | RI | NCAA Division I without football | 3,768 | $639,883 | 5.5 |
Xavier University | OH | NCAA Division I without football | 4,292 | $630,544 | 4.9 |
Temple University | PA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 26,128 | $599,905 | 6 |
Boston College | MA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 9,486 | $587,990 | 8.4 |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 28,782 | $579,251 | 9.5 |
University of Notre Dame | IN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 8,480 | $544,837 | 10 |
Stanford University | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 7,032 | $541,944 | 14 |
University of California-Berkeley | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 28,107 | $541,004 | 11.5 |
San Diego State University | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 26,530 | $513,658 | 6 |
Brigham Young University-Provo | UT | NCAA Division I-FBS | 28,012 | $502,330 | 7.43 |
University of South Florida-Main Campus | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 23,603 | $488,995 | 6.5 |
University of North Texas | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 25,486 | $484,491 | 3.5 |
California State University-Fresno | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,828 | $483,796 | 5.5 |
Marquette University | WI | NCAA Division I without football | 7,919 | $472,382 | 6 |
University of Wyoming | WY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 8,099 | $468,339 | 6 |
Saint Louis University | MO | NCAA Division I without football | 6,672 | $444,000 | 4.5 |
Boise State University | ID | NCAA Division I-FBS | 12,350 | $433,185 | 5.5 |
Seton Hall University | NJ | NCAA Division I without football | 5,484 | $427,069 | 5 |
Gonzaga University | WA | NCAA Division I without football | 5,029 | $422,721 | 7 |
DePaul University | IL | NCAA Division I without football | 13,126 | $422,068 | 4.5 |
Western Michigan University | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 14,999 | $421,811 | 6 |
St John's University-New York | NY | NCAA Division I without football | 11,468 | $417,605 | 6.5 |
University of South Carolina-Columbia | SC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 23,947 | $417,213 | 6.9 |
East Carolina University | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 19,698 | $416,183 | 6 |
Creighton University | NE | NCAA Division I without football | 3,970 | $401,184 | 4.75 |
The University of Texas at El Paso | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 13,321 | $390,898 | 4 |
Western Kentucky University | KY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 12,967 | $380,763 | 4.5 |
Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | NCAA Division I without football | 20,050 | $376,626 | 5 |
University of Northern Iowa | IA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 9,119 | $368,299 | 3.78 |
Butler University | IN | Other | 4,171 | $359,954 | 6 |
Rice University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 3,824 | $353,624 | 6 |
University of Louisiana at Lafayette | LA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 12,859 | $351,494 | 5.5 |
Florida International University | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 25,920 | $343,342 | 4.5 |
Liberty University | VA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 27,100 | $341,278 | 6.5 |
Troy University | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 9,329 | $336,593 | 5.4 |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 21,340 | $324,479 | 8 |
Grand Canyon University | AZ | NCAA Division I without football | 14,542 | $324,209 | 6.5 |
University of New Mexico-Main Campus | NM | NCAA Division I-FBS | 15,732 | $310,255 | 7.3 |
Middle Tennessee State University | TN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 15,985 | $309,566 | 5.44 |
University of Richmond | VA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 2,998 | $300,365 | 7 |
University of Akron Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 13,367 | $285,379 | 4.5 |
University of Nevada-Reno | NV | NCAA Division I-FBS | 15,390 | $284,675 | 5 |
Central Michigan University | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 17,077 | $280,330 | 4.5 |
Ohio University-Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 17,794 | $272,298 | 5.25 |
Bradley University | IL | NCAA Division I without football | 4,278 | $272,144 | 4.5 |
University of Nevada-Las Vegas | NV | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,237 | $272,106 | 6.5 |
Texas State University | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 28,180 | $263,138 | 4.5 |
University of Rhode Island | RI | NCAA Division I-FCS | 12,422 | $262,198 | 6 |
Louisiana Tech University | LA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 7,434 | $260,058 | 4.6 |
California State University-Long Beach | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 27,804 | $259,626 | 5 |
Kent State University at Kent | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 19,034 | $244,517 | 5.5 |
Texas Southern University | TX | NCAA Division I-FCS | 5,776 | $242,144 | 4.5 |
Marshall University | WV | NCAA Division I-FBS | 7,917 | $240,156 | 5.4 |
University of South Alabama | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 9,596 | $239,672 | 5.49 |
Georgia State University | GA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 19,062 | $238,833 | 6 |
University of North Carolina at Charlotte | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 20,257 | $238,798 | 6.5 |
Florida Atlantic University | FL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 15,715 | $236,533 | 6.75 |
Coastal Carolina University | SC | Other | 8,828 | $235,880 | 5.66 |
Old Dominion University | VA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 15,173 | $235,824 | 7.75 |
University of Denver | CO | NCAA Division I without football | 5,478 | $229,219 | 7.5 |
The University of Texas at San Antonio | TX | NCAA Division I-FBS | 19,995 | $226,222 | 5.5 |
Stony Brook University | NY | NCAA Division I-FCS | 15,729 | $225,114 | 6 |
Miami University-Oxford | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 16,109 | $224,660 | 7.5 |
University of Toledo | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 12,810 | $222,367 | 5.5 |
Duquesne University | PA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 5,851 | $221,432 | 4.5 |
University of Southern Mississippi | MS | NCAA Division I-FBS | 10,242 | $218,274 | 5.5 |
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 13,111 | $217,224 | 6.6 |
Belmont University | TN | NCAA Division I without football | 5,925 | $215,168 | 5.5 |
Northeastern University | MA | NCAA Division I without football | 13,345 | $211,536 | 5.5 |
University of San Francisco | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 6,413 | $210,422 | 5.5 |
North Dakota State University-Main Campus | ND | NCAA Division I-FCS | 10,631 | $209,095 | 6 |
Sam Houston State University | TX | NCAA Division I-FCS | 14,497 | $207,926 | 4 |
Iona College | NY | NCAA Division I-FCS | 3,066 | $206,437 | 5 |
Fordham University | NY | NCAA Division I-FCS | 8,725 | $203,985 | 6 |
San Jose State University | CA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 21,569 | $202,072 | 7 |
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | NH | NCAA Division I-FCS | 12,415 | $200,219 | 6 |
Illinois State University | IL | NCAA Division I-FCS | 17,420 | $197,184 | 5.5 |
Quinnipiac University | CT | NCAA Division I without football | 6,784 | $196,353 | 6.62 |
Northern Illinois University | IL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 12,323 | $195,957 | 7 |
Saint Joseph's University | PA | NCAA Division I without football | 4,649 | $195,187 | 7.31 |
Boston University | MA | NCAA Division I without football | 16,199 | $191,733 | 8 |
Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | NCAA Division I-FCS | 7,552 | $191,234 | 12 |
University of Hawaii at Manoa | HI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 10,676 | $190,967 | 6.48 |
University of Delaware | DE | NCAA Division I-FCS | 17,736 | $187,850 | 6.45 |
Towson University | MD | NCAA Division I-FCS | 16,827 | $187,166 | 5.5 |
SUNY at Albany | NY | NCAA Division I-FCS | 12,387 | $186,464 | 5.65 |
Santa Clara University | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 5,333 | $186,126 | 7 |
Youngstown State University | OH | NCAA Division I-FCS | 8,618 | $185,139 | 4.75 |
University of Arkansas at Little Rock | AR | NCAA Division I without football | 4,424 | $183,442 | 3.5 |
Eastern Kentucky University | KY | NCAA Division I-FCS | 11,002 | $183,211 | 5 |
James Madison University | VA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 18,467 | $183,082 | 6 |
MiraCosta College | CA | CCCAA | 5,138 | $182,960 | 0.25 |
Saint Mary's College of California | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 2,590 | $182,890 | 5.5 |
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | OH | NCAA Division I-FBS | 21,445 | $178,834 | 6 |
Furman University | SC | NCAA Division I-FCS | 2,691 | $178,519 | 7.5 |
Ball State University | IN | NCAA Division I-FBS | 15,018 | $177,759 | 7 |
University of Minnesota-Duluth | MN | NCAA Division II with football | 8,620 | $176,691 | 5 |
University of Louisiana at Monroe | LA | NCAA Division I-FBS | 5,149 | $176,111 | 4.5 |
Eastern Washington University | WA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 9,507 | $175,339 | 4.5 |
Tennessee State University | TN | NCAA Division I-FCS | 5,696 | $172,790 | 3.5 |
St Bonaventure University | NY | NCAA Division I without football | 1,589 | $172,214 | 5.5 |
Yale University | CT | NCAA Division I-FCS | 5,468 | $171,313 | 14 |
University of the Pacific | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 3,375 | $170,675 | 6 |
Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | NCAA Division I-FCS | 15,008 | $170,473 | 5.5 |
La Salle University | PA | NCAA Division I without football | 3,174 | $170,120 | 6 |
Jacksonville State University | AL | NCAA Division I-FCS | 5,392 | $169,492 | 4.25 |
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | TN | NCAA Division I-FCS | 8,868 | $168,529 | 5.25 |
Northern Arizona University | AZ | NCAA Division I-FCS | 21,490 | $168,502 | 3.01 |
Stephen F Austin State University | TX | NCAA Division I-FCS | 9,571 | $168,498 | 4 |
University of Massachusetts-Lowell | MA | NCAA Division I without football | 9,906 | $168,240 | 5.5 |
University of Portland | OR | NCAA Division I without football | 3,708 | $167,933 | 5 |
Lamar University | TX | NCAA Division I-FCS | 6,161 | $167,340 | 5.5 |
Eastern Michigan University | MI | NCAA Division I-FBS | 12,714 | $166,688 | 6.5 |
Loyola University Chicago | IL | NCAA Division I without football | 10,261 | $166,621 | 4 |
University of San Diego | CA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 5,433 | $166,429 | 7.33 |
University of Vermont | VT | NCAA Division I without football | 9,940 | $166,273 | 5 |
Pepperdine University | CA | NCAA Division I without football | 3,220 | $165,696 | 6.5 |
University at Buffalo | NY | NCAA Division I-FBS | 18,732 | $165,379 | 7 |
New Mexico State University-Main Campus | NM | NCAA Division I-FBS | 9,825 | $165,145 | 5.25 |
Robert Morris University | PA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 3,940 | $164,781 | 5.25 |
Appalachian State University | NC | NCAA Division I-FBS | 15,450 | $164,354 | 8.5 |
The University of Montana | MT | NCAA Division I-FCS | 7,789 | $164,094 | 3.5 |
University of Alabama at Birmingham | AL | NCAA Division I-FBS | 8,941 | $164,067 | 5 |
University of North Carolina Wilmington | NC | NCAA Division I without football | 11,913 | $162,842 | 6 |
Murray State University | KY | NCAA Division I-FCS | 6,916 | $162,183 | 3.94 |
Morgan State University | MD | NCAA Division I-FCS | 5,738 | $162,015 | 2.75 |
Delaware State University | DE | NCAA Division I-FCS | 3,486 | $159,686 | 3.5 |
Utah State University | UT | NCAA Division I-FBS | 16,888 | $158,670 | 6.25 |
Harvard University | MA | NCAA Division I-FCS | 6,931 | $158,583 | 14.04 |
Fairfield University | CT | NCAA Division I without football | 3,802 | $158,283 | 6 |