How Rich Are Mike Krzyzewski and Other Top-Paid College Basketball Coaches?
As the attention of the sports world turns to the NCAA basketball tournament, high-profile college basketball coaches take the spotlight. Because players are in college for just four to five seasons, coaches are more often the faces of college basketball.
When you think of iconic programs such as Duke, Michigan State or Kentucky, you think of Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo and John Calipari. So it's no surprise that successful, long-tenured college basketball coaches are financially successful, too.
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Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
Net worth: $45 million
The winningest coach in Division I men's college basketball history, Krzyzewski is synonymous with Duke. The 75-year-old coach has been coach at Duke since 1980, and he has led the school to five national championships.
Krzyzewski, who has announced he is retiring at the end of the 2021-2022 season, makes $9.7 million in salary. Plus, he has lucrative endorsements with American Express and Nike.
Rick Pitino, Iona
Net worth: $45 million
Pitino, 69, is the coach at Iona College and has been coach at Providence, Kentucky and Louisville, as well as with the NBA's New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.
Pitino originally made his splash by leading Providence to the Final Four in 1987, then coached two seasons with the Knicks before returning to college at Kentucky. He led the Wildcats to the national title in 1996. After a disastrous four-year stint with the Celtics, Pitino took over at Kentucky's in-state rival, Louisville, and took the Cardinals to the 2013 national title. That championship was later vacated because of recruiting scandals in the program.
Much of Pitino's net worth comes from his huge NBA contracts -- he signed a 10-year, $70 million deal with the Celtics in 1997.
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John Calipari, Kentucky
Net worth: $45 million
Calipari won the national championship with the Wildcats in 2012 and is known for building his program on "one-and-done" players who leave for the NBA after one season.
The 63-year-old also took Massachusetts and Memphis to Final Fours, although both were later vacated because of NCAA violations. Like Pitino, who was a mentor and rival, Calipari tried his hand in the NBA but had a tough three-year stint with the New Jersey Nets.
In 2019, Calipari signed a "lifetime" contract with Kentucky worth $86 million, Forbes reported.
Mick Cronin, UCLA
Net worth: $25 million
The coach at one of the most storied programs in college basketball since 2019, Cronin has led the Bruins to a Final Four and has a contract that pays him $4 million per season through 2026-2027.
Cronin, 50, also has been a head coach at Murray State and Cincinnati.
Rick Barnes, Tennessee
Net worth: $16 million
Barnes, 67, has been a head coach in college basketball since 1987, heading programs at George Mason, Providence, Clemson, Texas and now Tennessee. He has more than 700 wins in his career and took Texas to a Final Four in 2003.
Barnes is signed through the 2025-2026 season and will make more than $5 million per year.
Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Net worth: $13 million
Izzo, 65, has been coach at Michigan State since 1995, making him one of the longest-tenured coaches in college basketball.
Izzo led the Spartans to the 2000 national championship and eight Final Fours.
Mark Few, Gonzaga
Net worth: $12 million
Few, 59, has been head coach for the Zags since 1999, building a powerhouse college program in tiny Spokane, Wash.
The coach has led Gonzaga to the NCAA Tournament every season, not including the 2019-20 season when the tourney was canceled because of the pandemic. Under Few, the Zags have made two national title games.
Few makes $1.8 million per season with Gonzaga.
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Bob Huggins, West Virginia
Net worth: $12 million
Huggins is one of only six men's college basketball coaches with more than 900 victories, having led programs at Walsh, Akron, Cincinnati, Kansas State and West Virginia.
Huggins, 68, makes $4.15 million per season with the Mountaineers. He has taken his programs to two NCAA regional finals and reached the Final Four in 2010.
Mike Woodson, Indiana
Net worth: $12 million
Woodson is better known for his career as an NBA coach, with head coaching stints with the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks.
The 63-year-old worked as an NBA assistant or head coach from 1996 to 2021 before taking over as coach for Indiana University.
Bill Self, Kansas
Net worth: $10 million
Self, 59, has led Kansas to a national championship (2008) and three Final Fours since becoming head coach of the Jayhawks in 2003. Before that, he coached at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois.
Self has a "lifetime" contract with the Kansas. The deal is technically a five-year contract that adds a year each season and pays him more than $5 million per season.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Rich Are Mike Krzyzewski and Other Top-Paid College Basketball Coaches?
