Top 10 Highest Paid Basketball Managers In The World 2025

In college basketball, where the stakes are high, coaching salaries show how much people value leadership, strategy, and success. The 2024–25 season features a group of top coaches who have signed multimillion-dollar contracts because they can win championships, improve programs, and deal with the challenges of modern college sports. Below, we look at the 10 NCAA men’s basketball coaches who will make the most money in 2025. We talk about their salaries, accomplishments, and the reasons why they got such good deals. Unless otherwise noted, all salary information comes from USA TODAY Sports’ extensive database.

List Of Top 10 Highest Paid Basketball Managers In The World 2025

1. Bill Self

Bill Self, the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, tops the list as the highest-paid college basketball coach in 2025. His lifetime contract, restructured in November 2023, guarantees $53 million over the first five years, with a buyout of $23.1 million. Self’s $8.8 million annual salary reflects his storied tenure, which includes two national championships (2008, 2022) and four Final Four appearances. Despite recent second-round NCAA Tournament exits and a No. 7 seed in 2025—the lowest of his Kansas era—Self’s 81.8% win rate and status as the program’s winningest coach justify his pay. His contract also includes performance incentives, such as $200,000 for a national title. At 62, Self remains a cornerstone of Kansas basketball, ranking 13th all-time in wins among active coaches.

2. John Calipari

John Calipari, who is now in charge of the Arkansas Razorbacks, comes in second with a salary of $8 million a year. Calipari signed a five-year deal with Arkansas in 2024, after 15 years at Kentucky where he made up to $8.5 million. The deal included a $1 million signing bonus and $6.5 million in extra pay. He moved after Kentucky lost early in the NCAA Tournament several times, but he quickly turned Arkansas around, getting them a No. 10 seed in 2025 after they missed the tournament the year before. Calipari’s best moments as a coach include winning the national championship with Kentucky in 2012 and making it to the Final Four with three other teams: UMass, Memphis, and Kentucky. He has a lifetime record of 794 wins and 252 losses, which puts him 14th in all-time wins. His big contract is a bet on his ability to recruit and build a program.

3. Tom Izzo

Tom Izzo has been at Michigan State since 1995. His 2022 “Spartan for Life” contract, which is a rolling five-year deal, pays him $6.196 million. There is a special clause in the contract that says Izzo can become a special advisor when he retires. He will get his full $6.2 million salary for the first year and $750,000 every year after that. Izzo is still going strong at 70. He led the Spartans to their best seed since 2018-19, No. 2, and an Elite Eight appearance in 2025. Izzo’s high salary is justified by his consistent excellence and loyalty to Michigan State, which has won a national championship in 2000, made eight Final Four appearances, and been in the NCAA Tournament for 27 years.

4. Bruce Pearl

Bruce Pearl, Auburn’s head coach, earns $5.958 million in 2025, thanks to an eight-year extension signed in 2022 with a $250,000 annual escalator. Pearl has elevated Auburn into a powerhouse, leading the Tigers to their first Final Four in 2019 and securing the No. 1 overall seed in 2025. His 186-109 record at Auburn includes a historic No. 1 AP Poll ranking in 2022. Despite a controversial past, including a 2011 NCAA violation at Tennessee, Pearl’s ability to deliver deep tournament runs and consistent 25-win seasons makes his contract one of the best values in college basketball. His salary is projected to reach $7.15 million by 2030.

5. Rick Barnes

Rick Barnes has been the head coach of Tennessee since 2015. He signed a four-year extension in 2023 that pays him $5.8 million a year, with the highest amount being $6 million in the last two years. Barnes is 70 years old and has the 11th most wins of any active coach. He has led Tennessee to three Sweet 16s and two Elite Eights, including one in 2024. However, he has never made it to the Final Four with the Volunteers. Barnes has been able to keep Tennessee at the top of the rankings, and they are now the No. 2 seed in 2025. He has made $1.6 million in bonuses from recent tournament runs. His pay is in line with Tennessee’s investment in a program that brings in more than $16 million a year.

6. Scott Drew

Scott Drew has been Baylor’s head coach since 2003. In 2025, he will make $5.41 million, but because Baylor is a private university, the details of his contract are not as clear. Drew’s time at the school includes a national championship in 2021 and three appearances in the Elite Eight. He turned a program that was once plagued by scandal into a regular NCAA Tournament contender. Drew flirted with the job in Kentucky in 2024, but he stayed loyal to Waco and helped Baylor get a No. 9 seed in 2025. His high salary, which is expected to go up after an extension in 2024, is justified by his ability to rebuild and keep winning, as shown by his five straight tournament appearances.

7. Dan Hurley

Dan Hurley has made a name for himself as a college basketball legend by turning the UConn Huskies into a modern dynasty. His time as a coach at UConn is marked by a strict, no-nonsense style and a strategic genius that has brought about record-breaking success. Hurley led the Huskies to back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024. He was the first coach to do this since Billy Donovan in 2006-07. His teams were not only the best, but they also made history by winning all 12 of their NCAA Tournament games during those two title runs by double digits, which is an NCAA record. Hurley won the 2024 Naismith College Coach of the Year award for leading the Huskies’ championship team to a school-record 37 wins.

8. Brad Underwood

Brad Underwood, the head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini, will make $4.8 million in 2025, thanks to a contract that runs through 2026–27. Underwood has taken Illinois to the NCAA Tournament five years in a row, including an Elite Eight run in 2024. His 114-79 record at Illinois shows that he was always getting better, and his pay went up to $4.5 million in the last year of his contract. Underwood is one of the highest-paid coaches because he can compete in the tough Big Ten and get his teams to the tournament every year. However, he is behind coaches who have had more success in the postseason.

9. Kelvin Sampson

Houston’s head coach, Kelvin Sampson, will make $4.604 million in 2025 because he has turned the Cougars into a national contender. Sampson has led Houston to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances since he became head coach in 2014, including a Final Four in 2021. In 2025, Houston was a strong contender, and Sampson became the program’s second-winningest coach. His eight straight seasons with at least 20 wins show how consistent he is, and his salary shows how much Houston is willing to spend to keep the basketball program going.

10. Nate Oats

Nate Oats, the head coach of Alabama, is at the end of the list. He will make $5.018 million in 2025, thanks to a contract extension that lasts until 2029-30. Oats has turned Alabama into a basketball powerhouse. The Crimson Tide made it to the Final Four for the first time in 2024 and the Elite Eight in 2025, where they were the No. 2 seed. His fast-paced, creative style and a record-setting 25 three-pointers in a 2025 Sweet 16 game show how much he affected the game. Oats’ salary will go up to $7.55 million by the end of the contract, which shows that Alabama wants to keep him even though other programs are interested.