Where Mario Cristobal ranks nationally among highest paid coaches

The $7,783,059 annual salary for Mario Cristobal is 16th nationally per a list published by USA Today on Wednesday. USA Today published a note linked to Cristobal's salary that they learned the annual salary for Cristobal from per Total Pay via Miami's federal tax records and an interview with Hurricanes athletic director Dan Radakovic.

The notes from USA Today also state Miami paid $14,931,323 in connection to the $9 million buyout Cristobal owed Oregon for leaving and taking the job as head coach with Miami plus taxes Cristobal owed on the buyout. Private schools are not required to make salaries public.

Cristobal has the third-highest salary in the ACC and is also behind his successor at Oregon Dan Lanning. Kirby Smart of Georgia who makes $13,282,580 per season has the highest salary of any coach nationally. Dabo Swinney of Clemson is the highest-paid coach in the ACC at $11,008,575 annually.

Mike Norvell of Florida State is the only other ACC head coach who makes more per season than Cristobal. Norvell makes $10,000,000 after receiving an eight-year extension after leading Florida State to the ACC Championship, Orange Bowl appearance and 13-1 season in 2023.

"Miami (FL)
2024 Income Notes
In addition to Total Pay, Miami -- according to its federal tax records for the 2022 calendar year and an interview with athletics director Dan Radakovich -- paid $14,931,323 in connection with the $9 million buyout that Cristobal owed the University of Oregon for terminating his contract with that school and the taxes that Cristobal would have owed on that amount."

- USA Today

Lanning is paid $8,200,000 annually. Norvell, Smart and Swinney are two of seven coaches who are paid eight figures nationally. Steve Sarkisian of Texas, Lincoln Riley of USC, Ryan Day of Ohio State and first-year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer are the other head coaches paid eight figures.

Cristobal, Riley and the other head coaches at private schools do not have their maximum bonuses, bonuses paid, or buyouts listed. The biggest buyout listed is for Smart at $$118,083,333. The biggest ACC buyout is for Swinney at $60,000,000. Cristobal signed a 10-year, $80 million contract when he was hired in December 2021.

Cristobal reportedly has a $62 million buyout with Miami. After beginning his Miami tenure with a 12-13 record in his first two seasons, Cristobal has led the Hurricanes to a 6-0 start to the 2024 season and sixth ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 and AFCA Coaches Polls.