Where does P.J. Fleck rank amongst college football's highest paid coaches?
On Wednesday, USA Today released its annual database of head coaching salaries, providing fans and media with how much not just each college football head coach is being paid but also their maximum bonus, their bonuses paid, and their school buyout as of 12/1/25. Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, who gets paid $7 million per year, is ranked 31st among all college football head coaches and 12th in the Big Ten.
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Fleck’s maximum bonuses can total up to $1.45 million, while the Gophers have paid $350,000 in bonuses out to the ninth-year head coach.
As of December 1, 2025, Fleck’s buyout if the school chose to fire him would be $26.6 million. There of course, no indication or reason to believe that the program would look to move on from Fleck anytime in the near future.
In July, Fleck signed a one-year extension with Minnesota, adding onto the original seven-year extension that he signed in 2022 and included updated changes in retention bonuses and buyout terms.
The new deal included an extension bonus that is split each year on September 1 and December 31. The first year of the bonus will be this year, a $1,000,000 bonus. That bonus will increase by $100,000 each year, with the biggest bonus being at $1,600,000 in 2030.
If he were to leave the university on his own accord for another job, Fleck would owe $5,500,000 at the end of this year. It decreases to $4.5 million in 2026, $3 million in 2027, $2 million in 2028, and $1 million in 2029.
Big Ten coaches being paid more than Fleck include Ryan Day (Ohio State), Lincoln Riley (USC), Dan Lanning (Oregon), Matt Rhule (Nebraska), James Franklin (Penn State), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Bret Bielema (Illinois), Luke Fickell (Wisconsin), Jedd Fisch (Washington), Jonathan Smith (Michigan State), and Kirk Ferentz (Iowa).
Overall, three Big Ten coaches rank in the top-10 nationally, and nine rank among the top-25 salaries. The only coach whose salary is not public information is Northwestern head coach David Braun.
Across the country, nine head coaches are being paid more than $10 million a season, including Ryan Day, Lincoln Riley, and Dan Lanning.
Notably, Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, whose Badgers are 2-3 this season and losers of three straight, would be owed a $27.4 million buyout if the Wisconsin administration chose to move on from the former Cincinnati head coach.
Other Big Ten coaches with notable buyouts include James Franklin at Penn State, with a $48.6 million buyout while Ohio State’s Ryan Day owns the biggest buyout in the conference at $70.9 million.
Big Ten Salary Rankings & Buyouts
| Rank | Coach | School | Total Pay | Conf | Salary | Buyout |
| 1 (2) | Ryan Day | Ohio State | $12,575,000 | Big 10 | $12,500,000 | $70,916,667 |
| 2 (3) | Lincoln Riley | USC | $11,537,560* | Big 10 | $11,537,560 | – |
| 3 (6) | Dan Lanning | Oregon | $10,400,000 | Big 10 | $10,400,000 | $56,733,333 |
| 4 (15) | Matt Rhule | Nebraska | $8,500,000* | Big 10 | $8,500,000 | $49,612,500 |
| 5 (16) | James Franklin | Penn State | $8,500,000* | Big 10 | $8,500,000 | $48,666,667 |
| 6 (18) | Curt Cignetti | Indiana | $8,300,000* | Big 10 | $8,300,000 | $56,700,000 |
| 7 (19) | Bret Bielema | Illinois | $8,200,000* | Big 10 | $8,200,000 | $49,491,667 |
| 8 (20) | Luke Fickell | Wisconsin | $7,825,000* | Big 10 | $7,825,000 | $27,493,333 |
| 9 (22) | Jedd Fisch | Washington | $7,575,024 | Big 10 | $7,575,024 | $33,686,666 |
| 10 (27) | Jonathan Smith | Michigan State | $7,350,000 | Big 10 | $7,350,000 | $33,033,125 |
| 11 (29) | Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | $7,175,000* | Big 10 | $7,175,000 | $25,729,167 |
| 12 (31) | P.J. Fleck | Minnesota | $7,000,000* | Big 10 | $7,000,000 | $26,600,000 |
| 13 (38) | Greg Schiano | Rutgers | $6,500,000* | Big 10 | $6,500,000 | $23,735,156 |
| 14 (40) | Sherrone Moore | Michigan | $6,110,000* | Big 10 | $6,110,000 | $13,897,916 |
| 15 (41) | Mike Locksley | Maryland | $6,100,000 | Big 10 | $6,100,000 | $13,395,417 |
| 16 (42) | Barry Odom | Purdue | $6,050,000* | Big 10 | $6,050,000 | $25,125,000 |
| 17 (62) | DeShaun Foster | UCLA | $3,100,000* | Big 10 | $3,100,000 | – |
| 18 (131) | David Braun | Northwestern | – | Big 10 | – | – |
