Mark Stoops is one of the 25 Highest-Paid Coaches in America

by: Nick Roush10/25/17@RoushKSR

Mark Stoops is well-compensated for his work at the University of Kentucky. In his fifth year as Kentucky’s head coach, Stoops is the 22nd-highest paid college football coach in America.

In the annual USA Today database, Stoops is just two spots behind this weekend’s opponent, Butch Jones, and one spot behind Bobby Petrino, who will make a little more than $150,000 more than Stoops this year.

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Even though Stoops’ salary is in the Top 25 nationwide, it ranks in the bottom half of the SEC.

Coach	National Rank	Total Pay	Buyout
Nick Saban	1	$11.132 million	$26.9 million
Kevin Sumlin	10	$5 million	$10.4 million
Guz Malzahn	11	$4.725 million	$6.89 million
Dan Mullen	14	$4.5 million	n/a
Jim McElwain	15	$4.457 million	$12.9 million
Bret Bielema	17	$4.245 million	$5.87 million
Butch Jones	20	$4.1 million	$8.12 million
Mark Stoops	22	$3.76 million	$14.77 million
Kirby Smart	23	$3.75 million	$10.8 million
Ed Oregeron	28	$3.5 million	$8.79 million
Will Muschamp	37	$3.1 million	$7.18 million
Derek Mason	44	$2.72 million	n/a
Barry Odom	49	$2.35 million	$1.46 million

Set the salaries aside; look at the buyouts. Stoops has the second-highest buyout in the SEC, only behind Nick Saban. Firing or hiring away Stoops will cost a pretty penny.

Stoops’ max bonus is also noteworthy. The second-highest in America only behind Arizona State’s Todd Graham, Stoops could tack on up to $3.1 million if the Cats reach the national championship. That max bonus might appear unobtainable, but a few are definitely within reach and can add up quickly.