Hugh Freeze ninth-highest paid coach in college football

Published 11:20 am Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Jim Harbaugh, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer are at the top of the list when it comes to the highest-paid coaches in college football, but Hugh Freeze isn’t far behind.

Ole Miss’ coach comes in at No. 9 nationally on USA Today’s updated college football salary database. Freeze, in his fifth year at the helm, is making $4,703,500 this year with $3,500 in what the database lists as “other pay” added to his $4.7-million base salary. Freeze also earned $300,000 in bonuses after leading the Rebels to their first 10-win season since 2004 and a Sugar Bowl win last season.

Freeze received a raise from $4.3 million and had his contract extended through 2019 after last year’s success. His salary will increase by $150,000 each year of his contract following the 2016 season.

Email newsletter signup

Ole Miss increased its win total by one each of the first four seasons under Freeze, going from 7-6 in 2012 to 10-3 a season ago. That won’t happen this year as the Rebels sit at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Southeastern Conference entering Saturday’s game against No. 15 Auburn (6:15 p.m., SEC Network).

Ole Miss is riding its first losing streak since 2014 following last week’s 38-21 loss at LSU.

Freeze’s salary is the fourth-highest among Southeastern Conference coaches behind Saban ($6,939,395), who’s won four national championships at Alabama and has the Crimson Tide ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press top 25, Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin ($5 milllion) and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn ($4,729,500).

Harbaugh, in his second year at Michigan, is the highest-paid coach in the nation at $9,004,000. The Wolverines are right behind Alabama at No. 2 in the AP poll.

Meyer ($6,094,800), Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops ($5,550,000) and Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher ($5,250,000) round out the top-5 salaries this year, respectively.