How Much Do NFL Coaches Make?
Contents
How much do NFL coaches make? That’s a question a lot of people have, but the answer may surprise you.
Introduction
In the National Football League, a head coach is the leader of the team’s coaching staff and has final say over all aspects of the team’s strategy. He is responsible for leading and developing players and making key decisions on game day. NFL head coaches typically earn multimillion-dollar salaries, making them some of the highest-paid coaches in all of professional sports.
In 2019, the average NFL head coach salary was $6.45 million, according to Forbes. The highest-paid coach was Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, who earned an estimated $12 million per year. The lowest-paid coach was Adam Gase of the New York Jets, who earned an estimated $5 million per year.
NFL head coaches typically have several years of experience as assistant coaches in the NFL or at the collegiate level. They also usually have a background in playing football themselves. Before becoming a head coach, many NFL coaches serve as coordinators or position coaches.
The Highest-Paid NFL Coaches
We all know that NFL coaches are paid handsomely, but just how much do they make? That’s a difficult question to answer because coaches’ salaries are not made public. However, we can take a look at some of the highest-paid NFL coaches and get an idea of what they bring home each year.
The highest-paid NFL coach is Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. According to Forbes, Belichick’s annual salary is $7.5 million. That’s not counting the bonuses he receives for winning games and championships, which can add up to millions more each year.
Second on the list is Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks, who makes $7 million per year. Like Belichick, Carroll also receives bonuses for his team’s performance, which likely puts him over the $7 million mark.
Third on the list is Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders, who makes $6 million per year. Gruden’s salary might seem low compared to Belichick and Carroll, but it doesn’t include the $10 million per year he receives from ESPN for his work as a Monday Night Football analyst.
Rounding out the top five are Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints ($5.8 million) and Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs ($5.5 million). These two coaches also receive bonuses for their teams’ performances, which puts them over the $5 million mark.
The Average Salary of an NFL Coach
The average salary of an NFL coach is $2.7 million per year. This is the median salary for all NFL coaches, meaning half of all coaches earn more than this amount and half earn less. The average salary has been increasing steadily over the past few years and is now more than double what it was just a decade ago.
The highest-paid coach in the NFL is Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, who earns an annual salary of $7.5 million. The lowest-paid coach is Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns, who earns an annual salary of $1.1 million.
How NFL Coaches’ Salaries Are Determined
While the exact salaries of NFL coaches are not publicly available, there are a few factors that determine how much they make. The most important factor is the team’s success. Coaches who have led their team to a Super Bowl victory can expect to make significantly more than coaches who have not had the same level of success. Another important factor is the size of the market where the team is located. For example, a coach in New York City will likely make more than a coach in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Finally, coaches who have been with a team for a long time or who have won multiple Super Bowls can also expect to command higher salaries.
Conclusion
Overall, NFL coaches earn a pretty decent wage. Though there is a lot of competition for jobs and not all coaches will make it to the top level, those who do can earn a very comfortable salary. The average salary for an NFL head coach is around $5 million per year, while assistant coaches make an average of $500,000-$1 million per year.