Ranking SEC football head coach salaries: Where does Steve Sarkisian rank?

With Nick Saban out of the picture and new salaries flying around left and right, the SEC head coach salaries don’t look quite like they have in recent years.

Not to mention, the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners are joining the party to toss a pair of new head coaches into the picture.

As the conference grows and coaches continuously want more money, how do the salaries of the 16 head coaches stack up and where does Longhorn head coach Steve Sarkisian fall?

16. Clark Lea, Vanderbilt Commodores – $3.05 million
15. Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State Bulldogs – $4.51 million
14. Sam Pittman, Arkansas Razorbacks – $5.25 million
13. Shane Beamer, South Carolina Gamecocks – $6.125 million
12. Hugh Freeze, Auburn Tigers – $6.5 million
11. Mike Elko, Texas A&M Aggies – $7 million
10. Brent Venables, Oklahoma Sooners – $7.25
9. Billy Napier, Florida Gators – $7.5 million
8. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels – $8.85 million
T-5. Mark Stoops, Kentucky Wildcats – $9 million
T-5. Josh Huepel, Tennessee Volunteers – $9 million
T-5. Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri Tigers– $9 million
4. Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers – $9.5 million
3. Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns – $10.3 million
2. Kalen Deboer, Alabama Crimson Tide – $10.875 million
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs – $13 million

Not too shabby for the Texas head coach to be on the podium for the highest salaries in the most dominant football conference in the country.

At the end of the 2023 season, Sarkisian led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoffs for the first time in program history but wasn't able to coach the team through to the national championship.

When Saban announced his retirement and the rumor mill was in full swing about who would replace the legendary Alabama coach, Sarkisian signed a contract extension through 2030 bumping him up to a $10.3 million annual salary.

The only coach keeping Sarkisian off of the podium at the national level is Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney who makes $10.8 a year.

In other words, Texas' head coach is the fourth-highest paid college football coach in the world.

Maybe the extra cash will give Sark and the Horns an extra push if they make the 12-team CFPs to cap off the 2024 season.