15 College football coaches fired with buyouts nearing quarter-billion mark in 2025 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
College football buyouts have surged to unprecedented levels in 2025, setting off renewed debate about the economics and ethics of the sport’s coaching carousel.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to industry data, schools will pay $228 million in buyouts to 15 fired head coaches this year — nearly $100 million more than any previous season.
The staggering list is led by Brian Kelly at $54 million, followed by Mark Stoops ($38 million) and Jonathan Smith ($33.5 million). Several others also command eight-figure payouts, including Billy Napier ($21 million), Hugh Freeze ($15.8 million) and Mike Gundy ($15 million).
Buyouts are triggered when a coach is dismissed “without cause,” meaning a school must honor liquidated damages clauses guaranteeing a portion of future salary and supplemental income. These agreements ballooned as schools sought security and leverage in an escalating marketplace. The result: contracts that increasingly protect coaches far more than universities.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe phenomenon is not new. Texas A&M still holds the single-year record after paying $76.8 million to buy out Jimbo Fisher in 2023, but administrators are worried the scale has become alarming. The money does not exist like many believe it does. And athletic departments continue to fund the escalating fees.
The system amounts to fiscal mismanagement, especially as schools cut academic budgets while paying millions to dismissed coaches. Many buyout recipients rarely return to the sidelines immediately, raising further concerns about the stewardship of university resources.
Does there need to be a structural reform? Will leaders rethink contract guarantees in an era where “Super coach” deals have spiraled beyond control. But with fan expectations high and university presidents wary of confronting athletics, few believe the cycle will slow anytime soon.
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