Breaking down head coaching salaries in the Big Ten

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

COACHING SALARIES: Which programs are getting the most bang for their buck?

USA Today released its annual college football head coach salary database last week and, unsurprisingly, Alabama’s Nick Saban was at the top of the list with an annual compensation of $8.3 million per season. While there’s no doubt Saban is worth every penny, what about the rest of the list? Today we break down the coaching salaries in the Big Ten and take a look back at the coaches' average finish in the AP Top 25 over the last five years as well as their average finish in the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings to see which coaches are earning their keep, or in some cases, outperforming their current contract.

Note: Average numbers include the current AP Top 25 rankings and all salary figures are according to USA Today.

AP Ranking: 4

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish: 4

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 18

Meyer is the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten and is still considered one of the game’s best, both as a coach and as a recruiter. Obviously, things have changed regarding his national perception after he was suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season, but he recently returned to the sidelines and the Buckeyes haven’t skipped a beat. One oddity is the school’s current spot in the recruiting rankings, where Ohio State currently sits at No. 17 overall, but one could expect the program to finish inside the top 10 and near its five-year average of No. 4.

Average AP Ranking: 18

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish: 20

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 7

Harbaugh continues to take heat from the national media, mainly because the Wolverines have yet to break through and win a Big Ten championship. There’s still not much of a question about job security for him, though, and the strides he has made in recruiting continue to pay dividends in terms of overall talent on the roster. Obviously, Michigan fans are hoping that turns into more wins and the team still controls its own destiny in the Big Ten this season.

Average AP Ranking (at UCF 2016-17): Unranked

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish (at UCF 2016-17, Nebraska 2018): 44

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 23

The Frost era hasn’t gotten off to a great start, from a canceled game to a winless start. It’s clear by the way things have started in Frost’s homecoming that he’s going to need to get his own players in to turn things around, and that started with a top-25 class last year. The Huskers are on pace to do it again in this year’s class and will surely need to close strong in order to help right the ship. Frost was in high demand so Nebraska had to pony up to get him back home, but he still ranks higher on the salary list than more established coaches in the conference and sits in the top 10 nationally as well.

Average AP Ranking: Unranked

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish (2016-18): 55

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 69

Some national publications listed Smith on the hot seat entering this season but those close to the program insist that Smith will get more time go turn things around. So far, that plan is paying off in 2018 as the Illini already have three wins in 2018, matching the best season total of the Smith era, and should have a shot at a bowl berth. After the 2019 class is signed, Smith will be coaching a team comprised entirely of players he and his staff recruited, so at the point, the improvement will need to continue and likely take a bigger step forward. The fact that Smith is ranked so high in the conference and nationally (No. 13) is somewhat surprising, but it took a lot for the school to lure him back the college ranks after his long stint in the NFL.

Average AP Ranking: 20

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish: 15

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 11

Franklin has turned things around quite a bit since arriving in Happy Valley, first leading the Nittany Lions to improvement on the recruiting trail and then leading them back to glory on the field. Headlines this past offseason called Franklin “overrated”, but he once again has the team in the top 10 and in contention for a major bowl game. Penn State fans will want to see the Nittany Lions in the College Football Playoff, but considering the school was still recovering from NCAA penalties at the start of the Franklin era and the fact that he’s behind coaches like Frost and Smith in the conference standings, Franklin has more than earned his salary to date.

Average AP Ranking: Unranked

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish: 48

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 42

After a time when there was much consternation about Ferentz’s contract status, he’s settled back into a nice groove and is the longest-tenured head coach in the FBS ranks. Most recently, things peaked on the field for the Hawkeyes with a No. 9 finish back in 2015 and since then the school has also seen quite an uptick on the recruiting trail, with back-to-back classes at No. 40 overall nationally, up from 59 and 58 in 2014 and 2015. Iowa fans know exactly what they’re getting in Ferentz and it seems like the job will be his as long as he wants it, especially if the school continues to go to bowl games on a yearly basis.

Average AP Ranking: 21

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish: 24

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 31

The longtime coach seems a little low on this list, especially considering he’s just a few years removed from leading the Spartans to the College Football Playoff. The team has taken a step back since, missing a bowl in 2016 and now out of the AP Top 25 after a loss to Northwestern on Saturday. Nevertheless, Dantonio and his staff have done a nice job of developing talent along with bringing in quality recruiting classes. The school’s efforts peaked with the No. 18 class in 2016, but still has a chance to get inside the top 25 in this year’s recruiting class.

Average AP Ranking (at Western Kentucky 2014-16, Purdue 2017-18): Unranked

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish (at Western Kentucky 2014-16, Purdue 2017-18): 79

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 27

Brohm is just two years into his time in West Lafayette and is recruiting at an impressive clip in the class of 2019. After leading the school to a bowl win in his first season, he was linked with several job openings around the country late last fall. Brohm stuck with the Boilermakers and now is hoping to get another bowl berth after a slow start to the season. Brohm’s record at Western Kentucky, including leading the Hilltoppers to a AP Top 25 finish in 2015, showed what he could do and he appears like he’s well on his way to doing the same with Purdue. If the school is able to reach a bowl, Brohm might be higher on next year’s list as he’s likely to be a hot coaching candidate again this offseason, especially if the job at his alma mater Louisville becomes available.

Average AP Ranking (at Pittsburgh 2014, Wisconsin 2015-18): 13

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish (at Pittsburgh 2014, Wisconsin 2015-18): 38

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 38

Chryst has been the perfect fit since arriving in Madison and seems like he will be there for long haul. The school has finished in the AP Top 25 each of the last four years and looks well on its way to doing it again in 2018. Player development is always the hallmark of the Wisconsin program, but the school has also recruiting well under Chryst, including classes ranked in the 30s national from 2015-17. The school has a chance to bring in its highest-ranked haul in the Chyrst-era this year, with a shot to finish inside the top 35 nationally. The marriage between Chryst and the Badgers is likely to continue for a long time and given his success on the field, his salary seems like a deal for the school.

Average AP Ranking: Unranked

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish: 53

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 48

The Northwestern alum is remarkably consistent, leading the Wildcats to fringe of the AP Top 25 on a yearly basis while also doing a nice job recruiting within the academic limitations in Evanston. The Wildcats are coming off a 10-win season and have been to bowl games in four consecutive seasons, while also trending up on the recruiting trail. Last year’s class was ranked No. 40 nationally, easily the highest in the last five years. Fitzgerald and company have a chance to best that again this year and currently sit No. 48 nationally. Rumors have swirled about a possible move to the NFL, but the job at Northwestern will be Fitzgerald’s as long as he wants it.

Average AP Ranking (at Western Michigan 2014-16, Minnesota 2017-18): Unranked

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish (at Western Michigan 2014-16, Minnesota 17-18): 60

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 28

Fleck is on pace to improve Minnesota on the field and on the recruiting trail for the second consecutive season and that’s exactly why he was hired away from Western Michigan after leading the school to a Cotton Bowl berth in 2016. Fleck has the school in position to nab a top-25 class, something that would have been unheard of just two seasons ago. If he can get the team back to a bowl game this season, Fleck would be well on his way to justifying the salary it took to bring him and his “Row the Boat” mantra to the Twin Cities.

AP Ranking: Unranked

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish (2016-18): 28

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 70

Durkin is currently on administrative leave from his job at Maryland while the school investigates claims of a toxic culture surrounding the treatment of players by coaches and staff at the school under Durkin’s watch. In his absence, the Terps have a 3-2 record under interim coach Matt Canada. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the program, Maryland’s recruiting efforts have suffered and the Terps currently sit at No. 70 in the country. That is a far cry from the No. 17 overall class that Durkin spearheaded in 2017. It seems unlikely that Durkin returns as head coach, so it will be worth watching to see if Canada is elevated to the job full-time or if the school does a national search.

Average AP Ranking: Unranked

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish (2016-18): 60

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 66

The Scarlet Knights took a major leap forward in Year 2 of the Ash era, winning four games, including three in the Big Ten. It was also the most success Ash saw on the recruiting trail, nabbing the nation’s No. 43 overall class. But so far in 2018, things have gone backward, with Rutgers looking like one of the worst teams in all of Power Five. After showing so much promise in 2017, the question will be whether or not Ash hangs onto his job for another year to show that last season wasn’t just an aberration. According to USA Today, Ash’s contract does have a $10 million buyout, which might help buy him another year to prove his worth.

Average AP Ranking: Unranked

Average Rivals.com Recruiting Rankings Finish (2017-18): 55

Current Rivals.com Recruiting Ranking: 41

Allen was elevated to head coach after Kevin Wilson resigned at the end of the 2016 season and so far he’s done a nice job in continuing the on-field progress that Wilson started. It’s never easy to win on the football side in Bloomington and the Hoosiers came up just short of a bowl game in 2017, Allen’s first full season at the helm. This year, Indiana already has four wins and looks to have a great shot at bowl eligibility. Even more encouraging is Wilson’s work on the recruiting trail, which is currently slated to be his best class since taking over as head coach. Given his salary and results, Allen is a bit of a bargain at this point.