Alabama head coach Nick Saban led the Crimson Tide to victory on Monday night in the national championship football game against the Georgia Bulldogs. The victory marked his sixth national championship win, and the fifth with Alabama—and he has a salary to match these career achievements.
This season, Saban earned $11.125 million, including a $4 million bonus that was part of his eight-year contract that he signed in May. That deal gives him $65 million through January 2025, plus additional of as much as $700,000, according to USA Today.
During the 2016-17 season, during which Alabama lost to Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship, Saban earned $550,000 in incentives.
During the 2018-19 season, his base salary will be $7.125 million, according to CBS Sports.
So how does this stack up? Saban is the highest paid college football coach in the country—and, according to AL.com, one of the highest paid American sports coaches, period. The only college-level figure that comes close is Duke’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose compensation in 2013 was $7.2 million.