USA Today: Where Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp’s salary, buyout stack up in the SEC
Earlier this season, there was a considerable amount of consternation about South Carolina football coaches’ buyout and salary among the Gamecocks fanbase.
On Tuesday, USA Today delivered a more clear picture of where he stood in the SEC.
Muschamp is the seventh-highest paid coach in the conference according to the annual database and 23rd overall. His buyout as of Dec. 1 would rank 15th.
The database has his salary listed at $4.4 million, with up to $1.4 million in possible bonuses. He earned $175,000 in bonuses last season. His buyout is listed at $19.44 million.
That buyout, which is 75% of his remaining contract that runs five more years, drew some flack when the team dropped to 1-3 earlier this year. The buyout, which is probably too much to pay this season, is ahead of successful coaches such as Dan Mullen ($12 million) and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh ($11.69 million), but behind less proven coaches such as Purdue’s Jeff Brohm ($27.65 with a 15-18 record) and Nebraska’s Scott Frost ($20.7 million with a 8-11 record at Nebraska).
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is first in the county in salary at $9.255 million with a $50 million buyout. Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher is fourth in salary at $7.5 million, but his buyout is $60.625 million. Other SEC coaches making more than Muschamp are Nick Saban (Alabama), Gus Malzahn (Auburn), Kirby Smart (Georgia), Mullen (Florida) and Mark Stoops (Kentucky).
