Highest Paid Coaches

NFL Has Eight Of Forbes' Top 10 Highest Paid Coaches

Published May 18, 2012

With eight of the top ten spots, the NFL “dominates the list [of] highest-paid coaches in the land,” according to Tom Van Riper of FORBES. Topping the list is Patriots coach BILL BELICHICK who “makes more than any coach in America," at $7.5M. The list is “without the Saints’ SEAN PAYTON," who will forfeit his $7M+ salary this year while suspended by the NFL. NFL Giants coach TOM COUGHLIN, “who doesn’t quite crack the top ten" despite an estimated $5.25M annually, "will probably cash in with one more long term contract before he’s done.” The NBA accounted for “more spots a couple of years ago," but the retirement of former Lakers coach PHIL JACKSON and the resignation of former Knicks coach MIKE D'ANTONI "has left just Boston’s DOC RIVERS and San Antonio’s GREGG POPOVICH among the elite ten” (FORBES.com, 5/15).

RANK	COACH	TEAM	ANNUAL SALARY
1	Bill Belichick	Patriots	$7.5M
2	Mike Shanahan	Redskins	$7.0M
3	Doc Rivers	Celtics	$7.0M
4	Jeff Fisher	Rams	$7.0M
5	Pete Carroll	Seahawks	$7.0M
6	Gregg Popovich	Spurs	$6.0M
7	Lovie Smith	Bears	$6.0M
8	Ken Whisenhunt	Cardinals	$5.75M
9	Mike Tomlin	Steelers	$5.75M
10	Andy Reid	Eagles	$5.5M