Highest-Paid College Football Coaches: Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Contract Buy Out

The 15 highest-paid college football coaches in 2024 include Georgia's Kirby Smart, USC's Lincoln Riley, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, Alabama's Kalen DeBoer and Ohio State's Ryan Day. Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning is the 14th-highest paid coach and fourth-highest paid coach in the Big Ten, What is Lanning's contract buy out?

Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greets fans before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The 15 highest-paid college football coaches in 2024 include Georgia's Kirby Smart, USC's Lincoln Riley, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, Alabama's Kalen DeBoer and Ohio State's Ryan Day.

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning is the 14th-highest paid coach and fourth-highest paid coach in the Big Ten. Lanning's contract could be considered a steal, when looking at his success.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, center, waits to take the field with his team for their game against Oregon State at Autzen Stadium Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. / Chris Pietsch/The Register Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Lanning has helped lead the 13-0 Oregon Ducks to the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff and a Big Ten Championship in 2024. Since taking over in 2022, Lanning's Ducks have been one of the best teams in college football, with a 35-5 so far through his first three seasons. 

Lanning is in elite company, as his 35 wins are second-most among active head coaches since 2022 behind only Georgia's Kirby Smart (39).

Those 35 wins are the most by any Oregon head coach through his first 40 games.

Lanning has led the Ducks to three straight double-digit win seasons, going 10-3 in his debut season in 2022 and 12-2 in 2023 before guiding Oregon to its historic 13-0 start so far this season. 

This season, Oregon is the only FBS team in the top 15 for scoring offense (13th), total offense (13th), scoring defense (12th) and total defense (9th).

Dec 28, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning speaks after receiving the winner s trophy after defeating the Oregon Ducks in the 2022 Holiday Bowl at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

This year is Lanning's second year of a six-year deal he signed in 2023 with Oregon.

With all that success, it's no wonder why Oregon fans hope that Lanning stays a Duck for the long haul. Lanning has reiterated that the "grass is damn green in Eugene" whenever his name is rumored for a different coaching job, including an NFL coaching job.

Lanning has a reported $20 million buyout that will have to be paid if opts to leave Oregon for another coaching job.

“(Coaching in the NFL) used to be a goal of mine,” Lanning said last week on The Zach Gelb Show. “At this point, everybody can realize that I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love what we have here," Lanning continued. "I’ve got three young boys that love Eugene. We have a lot of unfinished business that we hope to handle, and I’m enjoying the ride. This will be the place that I’m coaching for a long, long time as long as I continue to do my job.”

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Ohio State head coach Ryan Day talks on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the College Football Playoff first round game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning and the Ducks hope to keep the undefeated season alive against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. PT.

Big Ten coaches making more than Lanning are Riley ($10,043,418), Day ($10,021,250) and Penn State's James Franklin ($8,500,000).

While Lanning's contract could be considered a deal... Riley is the fourth-highest paid coach in college football in 2024 and could be considered the worst contract.

Since Riley has taken over the USC program, the Trojans have gone from 11-3 in 2022, 8-5 in 2023 and now 6-6. In 2022, Riley signed a 10-year contract worth $110 million dollars as USC head coach, a move that shocked the college football world.

The 15 Highest-Paid College Football Coaches in 2024

1. Georgia, Kirby Smart - $13,282,580

2. Clemson, Dabo Swinney - $11,132,775

3. Texas, Steve Sarkisian - $10,600,000

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman shake hands after the game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

4. USC, Lincoln Riley - $10,043,418

5. Ohio State, Ryan Day - $10,021,250

6. Florida State, Mike Norvell - $10,000,000

7. Alabama, Kalen DeBoer - $10,000,000

8. LSU, Brian Kelly - $9,975,000

9. Kentucky, Mark Stoops - $9,013,600

10. Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin - $9,000,000

11. Missouri, Eliah Drinkwitz - $9,000,000

12. Tennessee, Josh Heupel - $9,000,000

13. Penn State, James Franklin - $8,500,000

14. Oregon, Dan Lanning - $8,200,000

15. Oklahoma, Brent Venables - $8,152,000

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