Is Cael Sanderson the highest paid coach in college wrestling? New Penn State financial documents offer insight

Penn State has never released the full financial details surrounding legendary wrestling coach Cael Sanderson’s contract. That has been the case since he took over the program on April 17, 2009. The athletic department has typically only released contract information for its football and men’s basketball coaches. When Sanderson last signed his most recent extension in 2022, details were not disclosed then, either. However, thanks to newly filed right-to-know law information from the university, we now know what the leader of the Lions made during the last fiscal year. And, as with his on-mat results, it indicates that his compensation surpasses that of his peers.

According to Penn State, Sanderson made $1,017,300 in the fiscal year starting on July 1, 2023 and ending on June 30, 2024. That, of course, is when the program won its 11th national title under Sanderson while crowning four individual champs. His pay for that year breaks down as follows:

Base salary: $315,177

Bonus and incentive compensation: $649,278

Retirement and other deferred compensation: $30,657

Nontaxable benefits: $22,188

Total: $1,017,300

This marks the first time Sanderson’s salary has been included in the university’s annual right-to-know report. It includes, among other things, the school’s highest-paid employees. Sanderson is No. 7 on that list, which is led by head football coach James Franklin’s $8,628,807 in reported income from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. The school is not required to release full contract details, though, which means outside observers remain in the dark over how long Sanderson’s contract with the school runs and also what he made during the 2024-2025 school year.

Is Penn State coach Cael Sanderson college wrestling’s highest-paid leader?

The answer appears to be yes. While limited details are available across college wrestling regarding head coach pay, Oklahoma State set what was then believed to be a sport record when it hired Lions legend David Taylor at a rate of $1 million per year last spring. Sanderson was already earning more than that in 2023-2024, though, and assuming his contract includes annual compensation escalators, it’d stand to reason that he’d be slightly ahead of his former pupil in 2025-2026. But, without the full contract details, it’s impossible to say for sure. Regardless, Penn State knows what it has in Sanderson and his staff, and with or without revealing the deal, there’s little doubt that athletic director Pat Kraft and his staff are taking care of Sanderson and his Penn State staff.

“Amazing people, great fathers, great leaders, and they get that culture to buy in and be exactly who they emulate,” Kraft said earlier this year. “They don’t complain about a thing. If Cael walked in here and wanted $100 million, “I will find you $100 million Cael.” But the reality is, it’s the opposite of that. “I’m good. Pat, don’t worry.

“I think we all have to understand what we are watching. It is the greatest. It’s not even a dynasty. It’s better than what anyone has done in college sports and maybe in all sports. Because, the Big Ten is loaded. We’re going to continue to do that as long as we can. He’s just one of those people that thinks at a different level, in all the right ways.”