With his team having set a program record for wins in a season with 10, Iowa State football Matt Campbell will head to this week’s Big 12 Conference championship game with $1.3 million in bonuses already headed his way.
That’s the greatest total so far among Bowl Subdivision public school head coaches, who have combined to claim nearly $10.2 million in bonuses, according to tracking by USA TODAY Sports based on contracts acquired through open-records requests.
But Campbell’s counterpart in Saturday afternoon’s conference title game, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham, not only has $945,000 in bonuses so far, he also would more than double that amount with a victory.
The combined figure for FBS head coaches does not include amounts that are all but assured for those whose teams seem certain to appear in the 12-team College Football Playoff, including No. 1-ranked and undefeated Oregon.
In addition, seven coaches have reached goals this season that were set to result in automatic contract extensions scheduled to be worth a combined $41 million, although Indiana and Curt Cignetti already have settled on a longer and more lucrative agreement.
Campbell’s total so far is greater than the basic annual pay that at least 47 FBS coaches had been scheduled to receive from their respective schools this season.
However, if Arizona State defeats the Cyclones this week, Dillingham will get $395,000 for winning the Big 12 title (10% of his $3.95 million annual pay this season) and another $1.135 million for the CFP appearance that will accompany it (30% of his annual pay, minus the $50,000 bonus he already had secured for a non-CFP bowl appearance).
The combined amount Dillingham could get is greater than the $1.5 million that former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had gotten when the Wolverines won the Big Ten championship and secured a CFP bid.
Dillingham and Campbell both have run up big numbers from contract provisions that provide them with huge amounts for individual regular-season victories. Campbell got $250,000 for each win, beginning with Iowa State’s seventh. Dillingham got $200,000 for Arizona State’s ninth win and $300,000 for its 10th.
A full, school-by-school list follows. It is alphabetical, by school and shows amounts coaches achieved prior to being fired. In that the amounts still may be owed to the coach. Bonuses for coaches at private schools are not available because those schools are not subject to open-records laws.
This does not include bonuses and/or pay increases for assistant coaches, staff and athletics directors that also may be resulting from these achievements. And those totals could be significant.
►$20,000: Competitive scheduling – play guarantee game at home stadium of Power Five opponent (Clemson)
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-College Football Playoff bowl game
►$200,000: Ninth regular season win
►$300,000: 10th regular season win
►$395,000: Play in Big 12 Conference title game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Seventh regular season win
►$75,000: Win over Air Force
►$25,000: Eighth regular season win
►$25,000: Ninth regular season win
►$50,000: 10th regular season win
►$11,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$11,000: Sixth Mountain West Conference win
►$22,000: American Football Coaches Association regional coach of the year
►$11,000: Seventh Mountain West win
►$44,000: Play in Mountain West title game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$7,500: Fifth Mid-American Conference win
►$25,000: Sixth MAC win
►$35,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$15,000: Eighth regular season win
►$25,000: Win over Stanford
►$25,000: Sixth regular season win
►$40,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$75,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least eight wins
►$50,000: Play in Atlantic Coast Conference title game
►$150,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$150,000: Sixth win
►$150,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Seventh regular season win
►$100,000: Eighth regular season win
►$100,000: Ninth regular season win
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Fourth Mountain West win
►$50,000: Seventh win
►$25,000: Fifth Mountain West win
►$50,000: Eighth win
►$50,000: Sixth Mountain West win
►$25,000: Sixth regular season win
►$50,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$10,000: Seventh regular season win
►$10,000: Eighth regular season win
(Note: Harrell had been serving as interim head coach, and his bonus total is based on the terms of his interim head coaching agreement. East Carolina has since removed Harrell’s interim tag and named him head coach.)
►$45,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Eighth win, sets up team for Southeastern Conference Pool of Six bowl
►$100,000: Play in SEC title game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$30,000: Eighth regular win
►$10,000: Win over Power Four team (Vanderbilt)
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension; $25,000 bonus this season: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game (Agreement set to run through Jan. 31, 2030. Scheduled total pay for that season would be $7.25 million, all guaranteed.)
►$150,000 increase in scheduled total and guaranteed pay for season added under automatic contract extension, making it worth $7.4 million: Seventh win
►$50,000: Eighth regular season win
►$50,000: Ninth regular season win
►$75,000: Ninth win, sets up team for what contract terms “Tier 1” bowl, which includes ReliaQuest and Citrus
►One-year contract extension; $250,000 raise, beginning next season; $200,000 bonus this season: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game (Agreement set to run through Nov. 30, 2030. Scheduled total pay for that season would be $5.1 million, with $3.3 million guaranteed.)
►$100,000: Fifth Big Ten Conference win
►$50,000: Sixth Big Ten win
►$500,000: Finish among top two in final Big Ten regular season standings
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$250,000: Seventh regular season win
►$250,000: Eighth regular season win
►$250,000: Ninth regular season win
►$250,000: 10th regular season win
►$250,000: Play in Big 12 Conference title game with team tied for first place in regular season conference standings
►$10,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$10,000: Sixth regular season win
►$10,000: Seventh regular season win
►$10,000: Eighth regular season win
►$15,000: Win over Power Four team (North Carolina)
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Seventh win over FBS opponents
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension: Eighth regular seaon win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2032. Extension now scheduled to pay $6.5 million with at least $3.75 million guaranteed.)
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$500,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least seven wins
►One-year contract extension: 10th win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2027. Extension now scheduled to pay $772,800 with $443,680 million guaranteed.)
►$25,000: 10th regular season win
►$25,000: Win Sun Belt Conference division title
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$30,000: Seventh win
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$75,000: Eighth regular season win
►One-year contract extension and $25,000 bonus: Ninth regular season win (Contract now set to run through Dec. 31, 2029. Extension now scheduled to pay $2.8 million with $1.68 million guaranteed.)
►$25,000: 10th regular season win
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Play in MAC title game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Fifth Big Ten win
►$100,000: Regular season win over non-conference Power Five team (Wake Forest)
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►One-year contract extension: Seventh win (Contract with Ole Miss Athletics Foundation now set to run through Dec. 31, 2030; contract with university through Dec. 31, 2028. Extension now scheduled to pay $9,000,000, with $7.2 million guaranteed.)
►$50,000: Eighth win, sets up team for SEC Pool of Six bowl
►$150,000: Fifth SEC win
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$150,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Play in Mountain West title game
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$35,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$15,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$5,000: Eighth regular season win
►$5,000: Ninth regular season win
►$30,753: Play in MAC title game
►One-year contract extension: 10th regular season win (Contract now set to run through Jan. 31, 2031. Extension now scheduled to pay $9,400,000, all guaranteed.)
►$200,000: 11th regular season win
►$100,000: Play in Big Ten championship game
►$200,000: 12th regular season win
(Note: Penn State announced Friday that Franklin’s bonus package has been revised to address a 12-team CFP. The university made no details available. The bonuses listed here are from a term sheet the university previously had released rather than a full-form contract.)
►$200,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$200,000: Play in Big Ten title game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$30,000: Seventh regular season win
►$15,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$150,000: Play in SEC title game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$100,000: Eighth regular season win
►$75,000: Sixth regular season win
►$20,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$60,000: Seventh regular season win
►$15,000: Team ranked in top 25 at any time during season (AP preseason top 25, No. 12)
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$75,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$25,000: Eligible for non-CFP bowl game with at least seven wins
►$50,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
►$50,000: Play in Conference USA title game
►$50,000: 8th win assures team will finish with winning record
►$25,000: Sixth win, eligible for non-CFP bowl game
