College football teams are operating with a playoffs-or-bust mindset, and that urgency is driving record turnover in coaches|LucyGTX
College football programs are firing coaches at a breathtaking pace this season and paying a massive price for it.
Schools are set to spend more than $150 million in buyouts as they scramble for fresh starts and faster results.
The pressure to win now is intense. Teams are operating with a playoffs-or-bust mindset, and that urgency is driving record turnover.
So far, colleges owe at least $145 million in buyouts to fired head coaches and their assistants.
The 2025 season alone triggered four of the 10 biggest buyouts in the sport’s history.
Including LSU’s Brian Kelly, Auburn’s Hugh Freeze, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, and Florida’s Billy Napier, 13 coaches are already out. Each walked away with $15 million or more.
LSU owes Kelly roughly $54 million after he rejected two settlement offers and demanded full payment, making it the second-largest buyout ever.
Penn State’s October firing of James Franklin originally carried a $49 million buyout, but it dropped to $9 million once he accepted the Virginia Tech job.
The chaos isn’t over
More firings are expected as the regular season wraps up. Big jobs like LSU and Penn State are now up for grabs, and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is reportedly weighing a $14 million-per-year offer from LSU. The deal would make him the highest-paid coach in college football.