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The 20 Highest-Paid Head Men?s College Basketball

biggunsbob

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Coaches.

By Nick Dimengo on Dec 2, 2014

20. Mark Gottfried – North Carolina State, $2 million

Once pretty successful in the SEC for the Alabama Crimson Tide, current North CarolinaState coach Mark Gottfried has done a nice job recruiting and putting the Wolfpack back on the map since he took over the program a few years ago. He has the daunting task of competing in a tough ACC conference, but has been able to get good players for his system.
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19. Scott Drew – Baylor, $2.13 million

One of the bright, young stars in the coaching scene, Baylor’s Scott Drew seems to always have his Bears in position to make some sort of run come March. Although he has yet to lead his team to a Final Four, Drew has done a great job recruiting both in and out of the state of Texas, giving him a chance to make a run thanks to his system. Baylor’s program has come a long way with him at the helm, so it’s no wonder he earns $2.13 million
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18. Lon Kruger – Oklahoma, $2.2 million

While most head coaches would probably prefer the stability of being at one place their entire career, Lon Kruger has the distinction of seeing a lot from a variety of different places, no doubt helping him evolve as a leader of young men. Now at Oklahoma, Kruger is still in the process of building a consistent program that can compete in both the Big 12 and on the national level, but the school is hopeful he’s the right man for the job
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17. Tony Bennett – Virginia, $2.29 million

Another one of the most promising, young names in the coaching scene, Tony Bennett of Virginia has his Cavaliers singing tunes of greatness. After grabbing a No. 1 seed in last year’s NCAA tournament, Bennett has accelerated the process in getting UVA back in to serious title contention, and has his team currently ranked in the top-10 again this year, primed for another deep run in both the ACC and during March Madness.
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16. Bo Ryan – Wisconsin, $2.41 million

Earning his first ever trip to the Final Four last season, Bo Ryan has been one of the most consistent coaches of the past several years, teaching his Wisconsin team to play with pace offensively and grind it out on the defensive end. With that approach, Ryan has won a lot of games in Madison, leading his team to a current, No. 2 ranking in the polls heading into this season. He has an experienced team who has talent, so watch out for the Badgers.
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15. Jamie Dixon – Pittsburgh, $2.44 million

Another one of the more consistent coaches of the past decade-plus, Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh has risen the program to as high as the No. 1 team in the nation in the past, putting him amongst some of the elite names in hoops. Although Dixon has yet to reach the Final Four—although, he has had teams favored to get there during his tenure—the school has no problem paying him $2.44 million for his services to maintain a high level of play.
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14. Travis Ford – Oklahoma State, $2.45 million

A former Kentucky Wildcat player, current Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford’s stock skyrocketed after leading Eastern Kentucky a few years ago, turning a stagnant program into a solid team. Getting a huge pay raise, Ford left Richmond, Ky. for Stillwater, Ok., taking the gig to be the Cowboys head coach. Having some talent since being there, the head coach continues to recruit on a decent level and help get the Cowboys back to an elite program.
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13. Jay Wright – Villanova, $2.48 million

Mr. GQ, Jay Wright. Not only does Wright look flashy with his custom-fitted suits while on the sideline, but he’s also as smooth with the X’s and O’s when yelling instructions to his team, because he has done a great job in that category, too. Always a name to come up when flashier openings pop up at other programs, Wright has maintained his loyalty to Villanova, which has, in turn, given him a paycheck of $2.48 million this season.
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12. John Beilein – Michigan, $2.49 million

After an extremely successful run at West Virginia, John Beilein left for greener pastures by taking over the Michigan Wolverines gig a few seasons ago, turning Big Blue into a solid program. While his team fell just short of winning the national title in 2013, Beilein has managed to recruit and build a roster around players that fit into his system, meaning Michigan will be a threat as long as he’s on the sideline. In my opinion, he’s one of the most underrated coaches in America.
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11. Rick Barnes – Texas, $2.55 million

Is it just me, or does it seem like Rick Barnes has been in Austin, prancing on the Longhorns’ sideline forever? A staple for the burnt orange, Barnes has seen it all while at Texas, enjoying top recruits and deep tournament runs, and a little less joy with average seasons, too. He’s one of the best at judging talent, but he needs to do a better job at getting his players to play together, which has always been his achilles heel. No matter, the school pays him $2.55 million to try and do just that.
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10. Sean Miller – Arizona, $2.62 million

A hot young prospect when he coached Xavier a few years ago, Sean Miller has since left for the desert, currently leading the Arizona Wildcats—and he has done wonders since doing so. Nearly unmatched when it comes to recruiting, Miller has turned the Arizona program back into what it was under former coach Lute Olson, challenging for No. 1 seeds and Final Four runs. Miller has yet to get there, but he has definitely helped the process, which is why the school pays him so nicely.
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9. Josh Pastner – Memphis, $2.65 million

Taking over the Memphis job upon the resignation of former coach John Calipari, no one really knew what the young Josh Pastner could do as a head coach. But, as he has shown thanks to recruiting, it seems he can do a heck of a lot. Still not quite on par with the tournament success that Cal had while at the helm, Pastner has taken the Tigers to the NCAA tourney in four of his five seasons, averaging 26 wins per year. For keeping the program competitive after losing such a polarizing figure in Calipari, the university is happy to give him $2.65 million this year
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8. Thad Matta – Ohio State, $3.28 million

He has yet to win a national title, but Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta has shown to have the chops it takes to lead a major program. Averaging 28 wins per year in seasons that the team was eligible for postseason play—Matta took over in 2004 when the Bucks were on probation—he has missed the NCAA tourney just once, with the one year he did miss out coming in 2008, when OSU won the NIT. A great recruiter and motivator, Matta is making $3.28 million this year.
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7. Steve Alford – UCLA, $3.47 million

With decent success at his former stops like Iowa and New Mexico, one of the winningest college hoops programs ever turned to hiring Steve Alford to help get them back to the promised land. And with a 28-9 record and Sweet Sixteen appearance in his first season in Westwood in 2013, he got off to a good start. Still, Alford will need to pull out all the stops in order to compete in recruiting with some of the other big boys in the nation, and the school thinks he can do just that, as they’re paying him nearly $3.5 million this year to get the blue-chippers.
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6. Tom Izzo – Michigan State, $3.89 million

There are only a few other coaches in the nation who can even discuss being better than the run Tom Izzo has had during his tenure at Michigan State. The guy is an icon on the level of Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, with the student section and home court being named after him. The guy is an ambassador for the entire university and performs on a high level in his profession, so it’s understandable that he makes so much money.
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5. Billy Donovan – Florida, $3.9 million

Another great coach who has done wonders to his program, Billy Donovan of Florida has won a couple national titles, while also guiding his Gators to the Final Four four times in his career. Although he initially left the program for a few days by taking the Orlando Magic gig years ago, he was welcomed back to Gainesville with open arms—and an open checkbook—as the school made him one rich man, as he’s set to earn $3.9 million this year
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4. Bill Self – Kansas, $4.96 million

Like a few others on this list, Bill Self’s salary only increased after winning a national title, so it’s not surprising to see him making $4.96 million this year. One of the top recruiters and winningest coaches in America, Self has done a great job at maintaining the prestige that is Kansas Jayhawk basketball. Whether he has a team full of high school All-Americans or scrappy veterans, Self always has a team that can compete with anyone.
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3. John Calipari – Kentucky, $5.51 million

What John Calipari has done since taking over the Kentucky Wildcats is nothing short of spectacular. Sure, he had one season where he failed to even make the NCAA tourney—and were shocked in their first game of the NIT—but, other than that, is there any denying this guy is the best salesman in the nation? He has, what many to be, the best recruiting class in the nation this season, and has earned top honors in those rankings a handful of times since coming to Lexington. Oh, yeah, he has also won a national title and been to three, total Final Fours with the Cats. He has made the program resemble a minor-league team, and for that reason, he gets paid
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2. Rick Pitino – Louisville, $5.75 million

Calipari’s main rival, Rick Pitino leads the cross-state Louisville Cardinals, and has turned them into one of the premier programs in the nation. Winning a national title in 2013 to capture his second ever, Pitino has been as successful as they come over the course of his coaching career, also leading his teams to seven Final Four appearances. A great motivator, recruiter and teacher, Pitino is making $5.75 million this year, and is definitely worth every penny.
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1. Mike Krzyzewski – Duke, $9.68 million

There might not be a more respected coach in college basketball than Mike Krzyzewski of Duke. With four national titles on his resume, Coach K is to Blue Devil basketball what Michael Jordan was the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s—a winner, a champion and the face of the program. With 11 Final Four trips, numerous recruits that were both high school and college All-Americans and enough honor and respect from NBA players who want him to coach the USA hoops team in major tournaments, no one should be surprised that Krzyzewski lands No. 1 on this list, or that he makes $9.68 million.
 
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I guess Roy Williams not on this list is weird...
 
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