Gophers coach P.J. Fleck ranks 26th nationally and ninth in the Big Ten in salary compensation, while the amount of his pay cut because of the coronavirus pandemic is the fourth most among NCAA FBS coaches, according to details from USA Today's annual coaches compensation database.
Fleck, entering his fourth year as Gophers coach, originally was due to make $4.6 million in 2020. He is taking a 10% pay cut through the 2021 fiscal year and had an additional cut of $88,320 from the last four paychecks of fiscal year 2020, for a total cut of $548,320. That puts his total pay at $4.28 million.
The Gophers are coming off an 11-2 season, Outback Bowl victory over Auburn and a final ranking of No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25. They're ranked No. 24 heading into the Oct. 24 season opener against No. 19 Michigan at TCF Bank Stadium.
Michigan's Jim Harbaugh leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally with total pay of $8.04 million. Alabama's Nick Saban has a nation's-best $9.3 million total pay. As for the coronavirus-related pay cuts, Clemson's Dabo Swinney is forfeiting the most at $1.25 million.
USA Today's rankings have Fleck at No. 24 nationally and seventh in the Big Ten, but those don't factor in Penn State's James Franklin ($6.7 million scheduled pay) and Purdue's Jeff Brohm ($4.8 million scheduled pay). USA Today did not receive complete contract terms for either. This article projects both into the rankings based on their scheduled pay.
Big Ten coaches 2020 total pay, in millions. National rank in parentheses:
1 (4). Jim Harbaugh, Michigan, $8.04
2 (8). James Franklin, Penn State, $6.7*
3 (13). Ryan Day, Ohio State, $5.65
4 (14). Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern, $5.22
5 (15). Mel Tucker, Michigan State, $5.06
6 (18). Scott Frost, Nebraska, $4.83
7 (18). Jeff Brohm, Purdue, $4.8*
8 (20). Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $4.67
9 (26). P.J. Fleck, Gophers, $4.28
10 (30). Paul Chryst, Wisconsin, $3.93
11 (34). Lovie Smith, Illinois, $3.8
12 (35). Tom Allen, Indiana, $3.77
13 (37). Greg Schiano, Rutgers, $3.76
14 (60). Mike Locksley, Maryland, $2.47
* The compensation and rankings of Franklin and Brohm are based on scheduled school pay rather than total pay. Complete contract terms for both were not supplied to USA Today.
Top 10 total pandemic pay reduction among coaches:
1. Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $1.25 million
2. Mike Norvell, Florida State, $968,750
3. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan, $554,548
4. P.J. Fleck, Gophers, $548,320
5. Tom Herman, Texas, $516,250
6. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma, $515,000
7. Matt Campbell, Iowa State, $497,124
8. Will Muschamp, South Carolina, $470,000
9. Kevin Sumlin, Arizona, $455,000
10. Dave Doreen, N.C. State, $446,875
NCAA top 10 football coaches in 2020 total pay, in millions:
1. Nick Saban, Alabama, $9.3
2. Ed Orgeron, LSU, $8.92
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $8.32
4. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan, $8.04
5. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M, $7.5
6. Kirby Smart, Georgia, $6.93
7. Gus Malzahn, Auburn, $6.93
8. James Franklin, Penn State, $6.7 *
9. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma, $6.2
10. Gary Patterson, TCU, $6.13
