There’s big money in coaching college football. Salaries for head coaches, coordinators, and position coaches have steadily risen over the past decade, and several new hires helped reset the market this offseason. Georgia, LSU and Tennessee hired new assistant coaches this offseason and immediately made them the highest-paid at their positions, according to data from USA Today.
There’s more money in defense in college football. Seven defensive coordinators will earn more than the highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football this season. The same goes for position coaches. The highest-paid assistants in college football coach defensive backs and defensive line, respectively.
Many offensive and defensive coordinators also take on the role of a position coach. Those who share a coordinator or co-coordinator title did not make this list, as we’ve ranked the highest-paid offensive and defensive play-callers in previous articles.
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Here are the highest-paid position coaches at each position in college football for the 2024 season, per USA Today:
QB Coach: Tony Tokarz, Florida State
2024 Salary: $633,000
Tokarz is entering just his third season as Florida State’s quarterbacks coach but has already made a huge impact during his short stint in Tallahassee. During his first season leading the quarterbacks, Tokarz oversaw Jordan Travis transform from backup into one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in 2022. Travis reached new heights in 2023, becoming Florida State’s first ACC Player of the Year since Jameis Winston in 2013. There’s hope he can do the same with DJ Uiagalelei this season.
WR Coach: James Coley, Georgia
2024 Salary: $650,000
Coley served as Georgia’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019 before leaving for Texas A&M (2020-23). He helped Georgia land multiple five-star prospects during his first stint in Athens, including wide receiver George Pickens. Coley is back with the Bulldogs for 2024 and has already made his presence felt on the recruiting trail. He landed three-star Thomas Blackshear in May, the first commitment during his second stint in Athens.
RB Coach: Robert Gillespie, Alabama
2024 Salary: $850,000
Gillespie is the lone offensive holdover from Alabama’s 2023 offensive staff following Nick Saban’s retirement and Kalen DeBoer’s subsequent arrival. The 44-year-old Mississippi native has been with the Crimson Tide since Jan. 2021, when he replaced Charles Huff, and has helped produce and develop more than 10 NFL running backs. He’s considered one of the top recruiters in the SEC and has stepped out of his position group to help the Crimson Tide land blue-chip edge-rusher Keon Keeley and linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
TE Coach: Drew Mehringer, Oregon
2024 Salary: $600,000
Mehringer joined Dan Lanning’s inaugural coaching staff at Oregon in 2022 after building a reputation as one of the nation’s top recruiters during stints at Texas (2017-19), FAU (2020) and New Mexico (2021). Mehringer moved quickly when he got to Eugene and landed four-star athlete Kenyon Sadiq in the class of 2023 and converted him to tight end. He also helped Terrance Ferguson set career-highs in receptions (42), receiving yards (414) and touchdowns (six). Ferguson came up one reception shy of Ed Dickson’s single-season record and three touchdowns grabs shy of Justin Peelle’s mark.
OL Coach: Matt Luke, Clemson
2024 Salary: $975,000
Clemson offensive lineman Collin Sadler called Luke the “Bill Belichick of offensive line coaches” earlier this offseason, speaking to the impact the 25-year veteran has made since joining the staff in 2023. Luke has already helped the Tigers land two four-star offensive linemen and has them firmly in contention for the top two tackles in the class of 2025, David Sanders Jr. and Josh Petty. He’s as intense of a coach as he is a recruiter, too.
DL Coach: Bo Davis, LSU
2024 Salary: $1.25 million
Brian Kelly overhauled his defense this offseason, including a power move within the SEC, poaching Davis from Texas to help out the Tigers’ pass rush. Davis, a member of three national championship staffs under Nick Saban at LSU and Alabama, was instrumental in changing the trajectory of the Texas defense during his three-year stint with Steve Sarkisian. He helped the Longhorns finish second in the Big 12 last season in sacks and tackles for loss.
LB Coach: William Inge, Tennessee
2024 Salary: $720,000
Inge served as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach during Washington’s CFP run last season and nearly followed Kalen DeBoer to Alabama before accepting an offer he couldn’t refuse at Tennessee. He inherits a talent-loaded group of linebackers in Knoxville and should bring plenty of his own flare to Tennessee with more than two decades of assistant coaching experience at the college and NFL levels. Inge coached two All-Pac 12 linebackers last season in Butkus Award finalist Edefuan Ulofoshio and senior Carson Bruener.
DB Coach: Tim Walton, Ohio State
2024 Salary: $1.4 million
Ohio State’s assistant coaches will make more than $11 million combined in 2024, the highest-paid staff since USA Today began researching salaries for assistant coaches in 2009. Walton received a $400,000 raise this season to bring his salary to a whopping $1.4 million, the highest among Buckeyes position coaches. He returned to Ohio State in 2022 after 11 seasons in the NFL and developed a reputation as a top teacher and recruiter at his position.
