Nick Saban is College Football's Highest-Paid Coach

The 2020 numbers are in and the Crimson Tide coach owns the top spot

According to a USA Today report that was released on Wednesday morning, University of Alabama coach Nick Saban is once again college football's highest-paid coach with a salary of $9.3 million. 

Saban made $8.7 million in compensation in 2019.

Last year, it was Clemson's Dabo Swinney who had the sport's No. 1 spot in that department at $9.3 million. He is now behind Saban and LSU's Ed Orgeron, who sits at No. 3. It should also be noted that Swinney took a $1.25 million pay reduction due to the pandemic this year. 

The other pay reduction of note is from Florida State's Mike Norvell, who took a $968,750 cut, which is second to Swinney's. Only two other coaches inside the top 10, Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley and Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, have taken reductions that COVID-19 has caused.

At least 15 college football head coaches would be entitled to a buyout of more than $20 million if they got fired without cause this season. At least 18 more would get more than $10 million: https://t.co/jzWFdPxirs pic.twitter.com/aqK7MDFAEj

— Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) October 14, 2020

Saban's buyout is the fourth-largest in the sport at $36.8 million, behind Jimbo Fisher's $53.1 million, Swinney's $50 million, and Ryan Day's $45.4 million. 

Overall, the SEC continues to have the wealthiest coaches with six of the top 10 spots belonging to the conference — No. 1 Saban, No. 2 Orgeron ($8.6 millon), No. 5 Fisher ($7.5 million), No. 6 Kirby Smart ($6.8 million), No. 7 Gus Malzahn ($6.9), No. 10 Dan Mullen ($6.0 million).