In recent years we’ve seen the demand for successful college football coaches reach an all-time high.
Not only have athletic departments been willing to shell out unbelievable amounts of money to get the right guy, but they’ve also been willing to shovel over cash if they didn’t.
We’ve seen schools like Texas A&M pay eight-figure buyouts in order to fire a guy and move on, but the frequency with which we see that kind of move might start to die down.
The term “hot seat” has become very popular among college football fans, as has the annual “coaching carousel.” However, with major changes coming to the way that schools have to divvy up funds, we could see programs have to give their program leaders more than a couple of cycles to get things right.
Florida faces a “hot seat” situation with head coach Billy Napier, but on Thursday announced that they intend to retain him after going 15-18 through this point in his third season.
One of the main reasons he’s being retained is likely the $26 million buyout attached to his contract. While that pails in comparison to the $76 million that A&M paid to fire Jimbo Fisher, the circumstances are a bit different now, as Ross Dellenger pointed out on X.
Starting next year, schools will have to start paying players over $20 million annually as college football transitions from a long history of amateurism to professionalism. Earlier this year, the NCAA reached a settlement in which it agreed to pay roughly $2.8 billion in damages to former and current college athletes – which the schools will ultimately be responsible for.
That $26 million price to hit the reset button is just too expensive now, and it’s likely the same reason why Dave Aranda has coached himself off the hot seat in 2024.
Baylor is 5-4 and on a three-game winning streak, which is certainly a sign of positive momentum, but it’s more likely that a $20-$25 million buyout is what will make keeping him worth it.
