USA Today ranks the Top 25 highest paid general managers in college football for 2025

In the age of NIL and the transfer portal – not to mention revenue-sharing – general managers have become an important part of the college football landscape. They play key roles in roster construction, and USA Today has ranked the Top 25 highest paid GMs in college football.

One of the highest-profile general managers is in Chapel Hill where Michael Lombardi became the first hire under North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick. The longtime NFL executive is also the only general manager to make more than $1 million, according to USA Today’s data.

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Some schools, such as Georgia, do not list a general manager and do not appear in the rankings. Additionally, Andrew Luck’s official salary is unknown at Stanford, as is Chad Bowden’s at USC since both are private schools. Here are the full Top 25 highest-paid general managers in college football.

1. Michael Lombardi, North Carolina: $1.5 million

A former NFL general manager, Michael Lombardi has become one of the prominent figures at North Carolina under Bill Belichick. He left his job as a podcast host and analyst at VSiN to take over the newly created role, becoming the highest-paid GM in college football at $1.5 million.

Lombardi previously worked with Belichick as a coaching staff assistant with the New England Patriots and in the personnel department with the Cleveland Browns. He now takes on a pivotal role in North Carolina’s roster strategy.

2. Mark Pantoni, Ohio State: $900,000

Now in his 14th year at Ohio State, Mark Pantoni has been a crucial part of the Buckeyes’ operation. He previously worked for Urban Meyer at Florida before arriving in Columbus in December 2011.

Pantoni has a lead role in Ohio State’s personnel and recruiting, including NIL negotiations and evaluations, according too the school website. That means he’s front and center as Ryan Day and the Buckeyes attempt to build off last year’s national championship.

3. Marshall Malchow, Oregon: $900,000

When Dan Lanning arrived at Oregon, he brought in Marshall Malchow as chief of staff. That move proved to be a trendsetter in the early stages of the NIL era as Malchow takes on general manager-like roles.

Malchow previously served as the associate athletics director at Texas A&M in 2021 and worked closely with the player personnel department. Now, he has a prominent role in building an Oregon roster that ranks as one of the best in college football.

4. Courtney Morgan, Alabama: $825,000

As Kalen DeBoer got off the plane to be introduced as Alabama head coach in 2024, Courtney Morgan was with him. He was with DeBoer at Washington from 2022-23 after a year as the general manager at Michigan.

Morgan has been front and center in Alabama’s recruiting efforts, helping the Crimson Tide land four five-star recruits last year. He is also the fourth-highest paid GM in college football, according to USA Today.

5. Austin Thomas, LSU: $800,000

A key staff addition for Brian Kelly in 2024, Austin Thomas is in his third stint at LSU. He was previously the general manager in 2021 and currently serves in his official title of senior associate athletic director for football administration.

Prior to his return to LSU, Thomas spent two years under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss as football chief of staff. He’s one of three college football general managers making $800,000 this year, according to USA Today.

6. Pat Stewart, Nebraska: $800,000

As Matt Rhule looked to hire a general manager at Nebraska, he turned to the NFL. That’s where Pat Stewart was working with the New England Patriots and previously spent time under Rhule with the Caroilna Panthers.

Stewart is in his first season in Lincoln and has a central role in roster construction for the Cornhuskers. Most recently with the Patriots, he worked in the pro personnel department in a similar capacity.

7. Ron Rivera, Cal: $800,000

One of the most notable Cal football alumni came home this past offseason when Ron Rivera took over as general manager. Fans also got their wish this past offseason when the school made him the point person for football in a similar arrangement to Andrew Luck at Stanford.

Rivera is the point person for the Golden Bears football program after a long career as an NFL head coach. He made the Super Bowl with the Carolina Panthers and most recently worked for the Washington Commanders before heading back to his alma mater in a newly created role.

8. Jim Nagy, Oklahoma: $750,000

As Brent Venables overhauled his staff this offseason, he made quite a splash with a newly created general manager role. Oklahoma landed Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy for the position in a surprising move.

Nagy – who also interviewed for the New York Jets GM spot – spent seven years at the helm of the Senior Bowl, holding a prominent role in the pre-draft process. A former NFL scout, he is now one of the 10 highest-paid general managers in college football, according to USA Today.

9. Vince Marrow, Louisville: $714,000

One of the biggest offseason moves occurred in Kentucky. That’s where Vince Marrow left Kentucky for rival Louisville to become Jeff Brohm’s general manager.

Marrow served as the associate head coach and tight ends coach at UK from 2013-25. He was also a crucial part of the recruiting efforts under Mark Stoops, and now leads the charge for Brohm at UL.

10. Brandon Harris, Texas: $600,000

Rounding out the Top 10 highest-paid general managers in college football, Brandon Harris started out as an analyst and assistant running backs coach at Texas. He then moved over to director of recruiting upon Steve Sarkisian’s arrival and became the program’s general manager in 2024.

Harris played college football at LSU and North Carolina before getting into coaching. Sarkisian has praised his efforts as general manager and has helped Texas put together the top-ranked 2025 recruiting class so far this cycle.

Highest-paid GMs: No. 11-25

11. Rob Ianello, Kansas – $550,000
12. James Blanchard, Texas Tech – $525,000
13. Tyler Barnes, Iowa – $500,000
14. Tyler Jones, Virginia – $480,000
15. Eddie Gran, Kentucky – $475,000
16. Billy Glasscock, Ole Miss – $425,000
17. Gerrit Chernoff, Minnesota – $410,000
18. JJ Cosh, Georgia Tech – $410,000
19. Jordan Sorrells, Clemson – $390,000
20. Andy Vaughn, NC State – $375,000
21. Kevin MacConnell, Rutgers – $375,000
22. Sean Magee, Michigan – $360,000
23. Khary Darlington, UCLA – $350,000
24. Marcus Sedberry, Wisconsin – $334,805
25. Matt Doherty, Washington – $325,008

General managers are taking on central roles in the new era of college football. With recruiting and NIL in play, they take some responsibilities off head coaches’ plates as the landscape continues to shift.