The brackets have been released, which means it’s officially time for the NCAA tournament and college basketball betting.
Going into the tournament, Gonzaga has the best college basketball betting odds to win the national championship at +300, which makes sense as it is getting the highest handle percentage of bets.
The start of the tournament also means USA Today releasing its annual list of college basketball head coach salaries.
It’s no surprise that each of the top nine coaches will be appearing in the NCAA tournament and 14 of the top 15 will as well.
What is Bill Self’s Salary & Buyout?
The Kansas head coach tops the list for the 2021-22 season. He took home $10,184,282, which is close to $2 million more than the second-highest-paid coach. Self has a buyout of $5.4 million.
The 59-year-old has been with the Jayhawks since 2003. Kansas has made the NCAA tournament every year, including winning the 2008 national championship. This past season, Self led the team to a 28-6 record and one of the No. 1 seeds in the tournament.
Self received a huge bump in pay, as it was $3.7 million in 2020-21. Why the big increase? He signed an extension last April and vested $4.5 in deferred retention pay roughly a year earlier than scheduled.
What is John Calipari’s Salary & Buyout?
Kentucky’s head coach has made roughly $8 million a year consistently the last few seasons and did once again in 2021-22 with a salary of $8.6 million.
In addition to having the second-biggest salary in the country, he has the biggest buyout by far. As of April 1, 2022, it is $47.7 million. Other coaches with high buyouts are Rick Barnes (Tennessee) at $23.1 million and Chris Beard (Texas) at $21 million.
Calipari has been with Kentucky since 2009. The Wildcats missed the NCAA tournament a year ago but are back in 2022. Under Calipari, Kentucky has reached the Final Four three times, including winning the national championship in 2012.
Mike Krzyzewski Salary
In his final season, Krzyzewski earned $7.4 million, the fourth-largest salary in the country. He has made just over $7 million a year since 2019. His largest salary since USA Today started compiling data was $9.7 million in 2014.
The Duke head coach will be retiring following the season after 42 years at the school. Former player Jon Scheyer will take over next season.
Duke went 28-6 in the regular season but fell to Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament championship game. The Blue Devils still earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Ranking College Basketball Head Coach Salaries & Buyouts
| Head Coach | School | Salary (2021-22) | Buyout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Self | Kansas | $10,184,282 | $5,410,000 |
| John Calipari | Kentucky | $8,602,306 | $47,718,750 |
| Tom Izzo | Michigan St. | $8,341,321 | $7,432,454 |
| Mike Krzyzewski | Duke | $7,353,496 | N/A |
| Jay Wright | Villanova | $6,192,252 | N/A |
| Chris Beard | Texas | $5,255,000 | $21,000,000 |
| Rick Barnes | Tennessee | $5,200,000 | $23,137,500 |
| Jamie Dixon | TCU | $4,347,975 | N/A |
| Chris Mack | Louisville | $4,257,494 | N/A |
| Bob Huggins | West Virginia | $4,150,000 | $4,688,750 |
| Eric Musselman | Arkansas | $4,000,000 | $11,433,333 |
| Buzz Williams | Texas A&M | $4,000,000 | $12,933,333 |
| Bruce Pearl | Auburn | $3,825,321 | $8,095,833 |
| Dana Altman | Oregon | $3,759,500 | $19,331,781 |
| Mick Cronin | UCLA | $3,700,000 | $7,900,000 |
| Tony Bennett | Virginia | $3,648,019 | $18,075,701 |
| Jeff Capel | Pittsburgh | $3,533,438 | N/A |
| Scott Drew | Baylor | $3,511,477 | N/A |
| Juwan Howard | Michigan | $3,500,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Brad Underwood | Illinois | $3,500,000 | $16,816,667 |
