Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is the seventh highest paid college football assistant and the Crimson Tide staff is the highest paid overall according to USA Today’s annual listing of salaries.
Sarkisian earns $1,550,000 as a base salary with $133,000 in max bonuses. As a staff, Alabama assistants earn $7,541,277. Clemson’s assistants earn a collective $7,410,000.
LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is the nation’s highest paid assistant at $2,500,000 and Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables is the second highest at $2,201,500. Texas A&M’s Mike Elko is No. 3 at $2,100,000, Auburn’s Kevin Steele is fourth at $$1,900,500 and Florida’s Todd Grantham is No. 5 with a salary of $1,801,500.
Alabama’s Nick Saban is the second-highest paid coach behind Clemson’s Dabo Swinney ($9,315,600). Alabama paid Saban $8,857,000 for the 2019 season, which was $457,000 more than last season.
According to USA Today, Saban’s salary included an $800,000 retention payment. Also, school pay does not include value of housing Saban is receiving subsequent to purchase of his home by the Crimson Tide Foundation in 2013. Because Saban remained head coach through the 2019 season the university also agreed to pay $100,000 to his family charity, the Nick’s Kids Foundation, or another charitable organization that he may designate after conferring with university.
Alabama’s Scott Cochran is the fifth highest paid strength coach with a salary of $595,000. Iowa’s Chris Doyle is No. 1 at $800,200.
Here is the breakdown of Alabama’s assistant salaries: Sarkisian ($1.550,000), defensive coordinator Pete Golding ($1,100,000), safties coach Charles Kelly ($800,000), defensive line coach Brian Baker ($750,000), offensive line coach Kyle Flood ($650,000), outside linebackers coach Sal Sunseri ($650,000), special teams/ tight ends coach Jeff Banks ($541,277), running backs coach Charles Huff ($525,000), defensive backs coach Karl Scott ($525,000), and receivers coach Holmon Wiggins ($450,000).
