Ohio State’s Ryan Day Now Highest-Paid Head Coach In Big Ten

Day’s $6.61 million in total compensation makes him the ninth highest-paid coach in college football.

According to an annual report of salaries released on Thursday afternoon by USA TODAY Sports, Ohio State’s Ryan Day is now the highest-paid head coach in the Big Ten.

It has been back to business as usual in college football, where athletics departments gave coaches big pay raises despite pleading poverty and cutting jobs during the pandemic.@USATODAY's annual head coaches compensation survey takes a closer look.👉https://t.co/2UG0niLeW7 pic.twitter.com/3uhGjUbR6o

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) October 14, 2021

Day, who is in his third season at the helm of the Buckeyes, will make $6.61 million in 2021. That does not include any potential performance-based incentives that might come later this season, such as winning the conference or reaching the College Football Playoff.

He trails only Alabama’s Nick Saban ($9.75 million), LSU’s Ed Orgeron ($9.01 million), Stanford’s David Shaw ($8.92 million), Clemson’s Dabo Swinney ($8.37 million), Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley ($7.67 million), Florida’s Dan Mullen ($7.57 million), Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher ($7.50 million) and Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($7.13 million) in total pay.

Day was set to receive an additional $135,307 this year but took a voluntary five-precent salary reduction amid the pandemic. Still, his total compensation increased from $5.65 million last year, which had him at 12th nationally.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was previously the highest-paid coach in the conference, but his total compensation fell from fourth in the nation ($8.04 million) to 32nd ($4.03 million) in 2021. He’s now 11th in the Big Ten, as well, ahead of only Rutgers’ Greg Schiano ($4.00 million) and Maryland’s Mike Locksley ($2.54 million).

Penn State declined to release James Franklin’s salary, meanwhile, but it was reported last year that he will make $5.50 million in 2021. That would put Harbaugh at 12th in the conference. 

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