Thanks to wise men like Pete Rozelle who created the essential foundation, the National Football League (NFL) is the most popular sport in the United States. The sport now boasts multi-million dollar signing incentives, big corporate deals, and record-breaking broadcast viewership. The players and coaches who create the art that fans love profit monetarily from the league’s success. Which NFL coaches make the most money?
The decisions are made by coaches, and becoming the head coach in the NFL is a difficult job. The majority of them begin at the bottom, working their way up the ladder for years as quality control or interns. Additionally, if they put in the necessary effort, they may be considered for promotion in the many NFL coaching contracts offered by other teams, which come with superior benefits.
An NFL coach is paid well regardless of the route they take to become head coach. Who in the league makes the most money?
The salaries of the top 15 NFL coaches
The compensation of professional football coaches varies based on their skill set and the particular conditions of the teams they coach. There are NFL coaches who are so good, it’s difficult to picture their teams without them. They are highly compensated for their exceptional abilities and ability to instill a winning mindset in players.
1. Bill Belichick – $12 million
At $12 million a year, Bill Belichick is the highest paid NFL coach on the list. A lot of people in the NFL believe he is the best coach because of his successes, which include six Super Bowl victories. Since taking over as head coach of New England in 2000, Bill has guided the squad to unprecedented levels of success. The head coach of New England is also thought to be getting additional pay on top of his normal contract, bringing his total yearly remuneration to over $20 million.
2. Pete Carroll – $11 million
The head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Pete Carroll, makes $11 million annually. He is the second-highest paid NFL coach in the United States of America. It’s interesting to note that NFL teams—the Patriots and Jets—have fired the head coach twice. His failed attempts at coaching did not depress him, though, because on January 11, 2010, he struck gold when he was named head coach of New England.
3. Jon Gruden – $10 million
Jon Gruden’s salary as the Raiders’ coach is $10 million a year. After working in the ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast booth for nine years, he returned to the NFL as a coach. Jon received an offer of the highest-paying contract in NFL history—a $100 million, ten-year deal. Before being moved to the Buccaneers in 2002, he had been the team’s coach from 1998 to 2001.
Fans adore Jon Gruden, also known as Chucky from the eponymous horror film trilogy. The Raiders coach also received recognition as one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People.
4. Sean Payton – $9.8 million
At $9.8 million, Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints is one of the best paid NFL coaches. Sean is among the NFL’s best coaches; most of them have at least one Super Bowl victory under their belts.
Since joining the New Orleans Saints in 2006, he has helped the team win numerous games and one Super Bowl. Sean is at the forefront of offensive strategy in the NFL. From 1997 to 1998, Payton worked as the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. He later joined the New York Giants as an assistant coach, moving on to the Dallas Cowboys in 2003. Alue
5. John Harbaugh – $9 million
John Harbaugh is paid among the highest of any professional football coaches in the United States. He comes in at number five, making $9 million a year. Since 2008, John has served as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. The Baltimore Ravens went 129-79-0 throughout this span. The NFL squad defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34–31 to win the Super Bowl under the direction of the gifted coach.
2019 saw John Harbaugh win NFL Coach of the Year after leading Ravens to a 14-2-0 record and a postseason appearance. In 2013, he coached the team that lost in Super Bowl XLVII to his brother.
6. Matt Rhule – $8.5 million
The Carolina Panthers’ head coach, Matt Rhule, has an annual compensation of $8.5 million. In the history of the team, he is the fifth head coach. In the spring of 1998, Rhule began his coaching career at Penn State as a volunteer assistant. Later, in 1998, he worked for the season at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. Although most NFL coaches come up slowly from the sidelines, David Tepper, the team owner, selected Rhule straight out of Baylor. In order to get Matt to leave Baylor following the 2019 season, the team had to make a sizable contract offer. This is his first position as head coach of an NFL team.
7. Sean McVay – $8.5 million
Sean McVay receives a competitive pay as an NFL coach. As the Los Angeles Rams’ head coach, he receives an annual salary of $8.5 million. Despite having several players who were older than him, he was hired at the age of thirty, making him the youngest coach in NFL history. Sean is regarded as one of the National Football League’s smartest coaches. Before turning 35, he quickly advanced from wide receiver in college football to assistant in the NFL to head coach in contention for a championship.
8. Mike Tomlin – $8 million
The head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin, is paid $8 million a year. The head coach has a record of 145-78 and hasn’t experienced a losing season since joining the NFL team in 2007. In his second season on the job, Mike guided his current club to a Super Bowl victory. A few years later, he appeared in another Super Bowl.
9. Andy Reid – $8 million
Andy Reid, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, is among the highest-paid NFL coaches. He receives an annual salary of $8 million. Being among the finest coaches in the league, he should be paid more than he does now. In 2021, Reid will take the Kansas City Chiefs’ coaching staff into his ninth season. On January 7, 2013, he was appointed as the team’s thirteenth head coach. Six of the seven seasons since he took over as head coach have seen the team qualify for the postseason. This demonstrates his exceptional coaching abilities.
10. Bruce Arians – $8 million
The head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team is Bruce Arians. His salary of $8 million puts him among the highest paid professional football coaches. In addition to becoming the first NFL coach to hire a female assistant, the coach despises women.
11. Ron Rivera – $7 million
Ron Rivera makes $7 million a year coaching the Washington Redskins. He will lead the team for the 24th NFL season starting in 2021. On January 1, 2020, he was announced as the team’s thirty-first head coach. Ron’s career in the NFL has grown gradually. Between 1997 and 1998, he worked as defensive quality control for the Chicago Bears before beginning his coaching career. Before being hired as the Carolina Panthers’ first head coach in 2011, he held a number of positions in the NFL.
12. Kliff Kingsbury – $5.5 million
The head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Kliff Kingsbury, makes $5.5 million a year. He makes more than $5 million as an NFL head coach, which makes his compensation excellent even though it’s not the biggest. On January 8, 2019, Kliff was hired by the Arizona Cardinals, marking his first experience as an NFL head coach. He previously spent six seasons as Texas Tech’s head coach, his alma mater. In the first year, his squad showed tremendous progress. This included an increase in total scoring drives of 91.7% and an increase in points scored of 60.4%.
13. Joe Judge – $5 million
Head coach of the New York Giants Joe Judge makes $5 million a year. He became the 19th head coach in franchise history after agreeing to a five-year contract.
14. Matt LaFleur – $5 million
The Green Bay Packers’ head coach, Matt LaFleur, gets paid $5 million a year. The gifted coach formerly served as the quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons and the Washington Football Team.
15. Vic Fangio – $5 million
Vic is another well-known NFL coach who makes $5 million a year. He is the Denver Broncos’ head trainer. When the team hired him on January 10, 2019, he was a long-time defensive coordinator who was passed up to become the 17th head coach. The NFL’s top-paid coaches are the best in the business, so they should be compensated well. Most of the coaches on this list began their careers as lowly coaches and climbed their way up the NFL ladder to manage the top clubs in the widely followed sport.
