The highest-paid coaches in the NCAA Tournament

Advertisement

30. Richard Pitino, Minnesota — $2.2 million

30. Richard Pitino, Minnesota — $2.2 million

Seasons at school: 6

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: First round

One thing to know: Pitino will receive a $450,000 "contract fulfillment incentive" if he is still the head coach in May.

Advertisement

29. Ben Howland, Mississippi State — $2.2 million

29. Ben Howland, Mississippi State — $2.2 million

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 1

Best finish: N/A

One thing to know: Howland has taken four schools to the NCAA Tournament, including three straight Final Four appearances with UCLA.

Advertisement

28. Mick Cronin, Cincinnati — $2.2 million

28. Mick Cronin, Cincinnati — $2.2 million

Seasons at school: 13

NCAA Tournament appearances: 9

Best finish: Sweet Sixteen

One thing to know: Cronin's 7-year extension goes through the 2020-21 season.

27. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State — $2.3 million

27. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State — $2.3 million

Seasons at school: 17

NCAA Tournament appearances: 7

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: Hamilton topped all coaches in 2018-18 with $890,000 in bonuses received.

Advertisement

26. Fran McCaffery, Iowa — $2.3 million

26. Fran McCaffery, Iowa — $2.3 million

Seasons at school: 9

NCAA Tournament appearances: 4

Best finish: Round of 32

One thing to know: In 1999, Iowa forced out Tom Davis despite leading the Hawkeyes to the NCAA Tournament nine times in 14 seasons. Iowa is back in the tournament for just the seventh time in 20 seasons since.

25. Greg Gard, Wisconsin — $2.4 million

25. Greg Gard, Wisconsin — $2.4 million

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 3

Best finish: Sweet Sixteen

One thing to know: After Wisconsin went 15-18 in 2017-18 and failed to reach the NCAA Tournament, the school gave Gard what was called a "standard" contract extension through 2022-23.

Advertisement

24. Bobby Hurley, Arizona State — $2.4 million

24. Bobby Hurley, Arizona State — $2.4 million

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: First Four

One thing to know: Hurley signed an extension in 2018 that bumped his salary from $1.4 million. It will ultimately reach $2.5 billion (not including bonuses) in 2021. He will also receive a $1 million bonus if he is still the head coach on January 1, 2022.

23. Will Wade, LSU — $2.5 million

23. Will Wade, LSU — $2.5 million

Seasons at school: 2

NCAA Tournament appearances: 1

Best finish: N/A

One thing to know: Wade was indefinitely suspended by LSU after reports that he was caught on a federal wiretap discussing an "offer" to a recruit.

Advertisement

22. Bruce Pearl, Auburn — $2.6 million

22. Bruce Pearl, Auburn — $2.6 million

Seasons at school: 5

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: Round of 32

One thing to know: Pearl's new extension will give him a $100,000 pay raise each year.

21. Bruce Weber, Kansas State — $2.6 million

21. Bruce Weber, Kansas State — $2.6 million

Seasons at school: 7

NCAA Tournament appearances: 5

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: Weber will receive a $500,000 retention bonus if he is still the head coach in May, according to USA Today.

Advertisement

20. Mike White, Florida — $2.6 million

20. Mike White, Florida — $2.6 million

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 3

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: White was making less than $2.0 million but got a big raise after taking Florida to the Elite Eight in 2017.

19. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse — $2.7 million

19. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse — $2.7 million

Seasons at school: 43

NCAA Tournament appearances: 34

Best finish: NCAA Champions

One thing to know: Boeheim does not want players to be paid, saying, "And everybody says, 'The coach makes this and the players (don't make anything).' The player is 17 years old. I've been working my whole life. There's a lot of 17-year-old kids that don't make money. Most of them. These 17-year-old kids are getting a $75,000 scholarship. And they compare that to a coach making all this money. What's the comparison there? I'm a grown man. I've been working for 50 years. That's just not a comparison. It makes no sense."

Advertisement

18. Chris Beard, Texas Tech — $2.8 million

18. Chris Beard, Texas Tech — $2.8 million

Seasons at school: 3

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: In 2018, Tech reached the Elite Eight for the first time and Beard took home $325,000 in bonuses for the strong season.

17. Dana Altman, Oregon — $2.8 million

17. Dana Altman, Oregon — $2.8 million

Seasons at school: 9

NCAA Tournament appearances: 6

Best finish: Final Four

One thing to know: A recent contract extension has Altman signed at Oregon through the 2025-26 season.

Advertisement

16. Matt Painter, Purdue — $2.8 million

16. Matt Painter, Purdue — $2.8 million

Seasons at school: 14

NCAA Tournament appearances: 11

Best finish: Sweet Sixteen

One thing to know: Painter will receive a $24,000 bonus for making the tournament and would get another $24,000 for each win the first two rounds. His per-round bonus for wins goes up to $47,000 starting in the Sweet Sixteen.

15. Mark Turgeon, Maryland — $2.8 million

15. Mark Turgeon, Maryland — $2.8 million

Seasons at school: 8

NCAA Tournament appearances: 4

Best finish: Sweet Sixteen

One thing to know: Turgeon recently signed an extension that will keep him at Maryland through the 2022-23 season.

Advertisement

14. Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech — $3.0 million

14. Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech — $3.0 million

Seasons at school: 5

NCAA Tournament appearances: 3

Best finish: First Round

One thing to know: Williams is reportedly the "strong favorite" to be the next head coach at Texas A&M.

13. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State — $3.0 million

13. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State — $3.0 million

Seasons at school: 2

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: Round of 32

One thing to know: Holtman offered a recruit from Akron a scholarship before he ever played in a high school game and nearly five years before he will graduate from high school.

Advertisement

12. Scott Drew, Baylor — $3.1 million

12. Scott Drew, Baylor — $3.1 million

Seasons at school: 16

NCAA Tournament appearances: 8

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: Before the 2017-18 season, Drew had led Baylor to school-record 6-straight 20-win seasons and 4-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

11. Lon Kruger, Oklahoma — $3.2 million

11. Lon Kruger, Oklahoma — $3.2 million

Seasons at school: 8

NCAA Tournament appearances: 6

Best finish: Final Four

One thing to know: Kruger will receive a $600,000 "annual stay benefit" if he is still the coach on May 1, 2019, according to USA Today.

Advertisement

10. Rick Barnes, Tennessee — $3.3 million

10. Rick Barnes, Tennessee — $3.3 million

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: Round of 32

One thing to know: Barnes reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times in 17 years at Texas, including one Final Four. Texas has missed the tournament twice in the four years since and was knocked out in the first round in both trips.

9. John Beilein, Michigan — $3.8 million

9. John Beilein, Michigan — $3.8 million

Seasons at school: 12

NCAA Tournament appearances: 9

Best finish: National championship game

One thing to know: Beilein signed a new contract before the season that made him the third-highest-paid coach in the Big Ten.

Advertisement

8. Jay Wright, Villanova — $3.9 million

8. Jay Wright, Villanova — $3.9 million

Seasons at school: 18

NCAA Tournament appearances: 14

Best finish: NCAA Champions (2 times)

One thing to know: NBA teams are often rumored to be interested in hiring Wright, but so far he has rejected any offers, once saying he has "the best job in the country."

7. Roy Williams, North Carolina — $3.9 million

7. Roy Williams, North Carolina — $3.9 million

Seasons at school: 16

NCAA Tournament appearances: 15

Best finish: NCAA Champions (3 times)

One thing to know: Williams recently signed an extension that will keep him at the school through the 2027-28 season.

Advertisement

6. Chris Mack, Louisville — $4.0 million

6. Chris Mack, Louisville — $4.0 million

Seasons at school: 1

NCAA Tournament appearances: 1

Best finish: N/A

One thing to know: Louisville also paid Xavier $2.9 million to buy out Mack's contract in 2018. They also forked out more than $1.0 million in taxes for that transaction.

5. Bill Self, Kansas — $4.1 million

5. Bill Self, Kansas — $4.1 million

Seasons at school: 16

NCAA Tournament appearances: 16

Best finish: NCAA Champions

One thing to know: Self would receive a $150,000 bonus for reaching the Final Four and an additional $200,000 if Kansas wins the national title.

Advertisement

4. Tony Bennett, Virginia — $4.2 million

4. Tony Bennett, Virginia — $4.2 million

Seasons at school: 10

NCAA Tournament appearances: 7

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: Bennett has the second-highest-reported buyout, according to USA Today, as it would cost the school $19.8 million if they wanted to fire him for some reason.

3. Tom Izzo, Michigan State — $4.2 million

3. Tom Izzo, Michigan State — $4.2 million

Seasons at school: 24

NCAA Tournament appearances: 22

Best finish: NCAA Champions

One thing to know: Izzo continues to reject overtures from the NBA, including reportedly, the Orlando Magic last year.

Advertisement

2. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke — $7.0 million

2. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke — $7.0 million

Seasons at school: 39

NCAA Tournament appearances: 35

Best finish: NCAA Champions (5 times)

One thing to know: Rumors are swirling that Coach K could retire soon, possibly after next season. Count LeBron James among those who hope the end is not near as he has strongly hinted that he wants his son to play at Duke for Krzyzewski.

1. John Calipari, Kentucky — $9.3 million

1. John Calipari, Kentucky — $9.3 million
Advertisement