The problem for Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman in recent seasons might have been that a clause in his contract was producing more drama than the Razorbacks were on the field. The figure was tied to his performance from 2021 onward, stipulating Arkansas would owe Pittman more money if he had won more than half of his games before being dismissed.
Pittman was fired after the Razorbacks’ 56-13 loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 27 with a 29-27 record under this agreement (he finished 32-24 overall). But in explaining the decision, Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek announced Pittman had agreed to a negotiated buyout splitting the difference (and saving Arkansas about $1.5 million).
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With that, Arkansas put an end to perhaps the most intricate buyout language in college football over the past few years.
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Still, there are plenty of contract clauses worth examining now that the 2025 college football season has already produced several notable power conference coach openings. Schools are determining whether to dole out millions of dollars to move on from unpopular or unsuccessful coaches. Successful coaches are wondering if this could be the right time to pursue a better job. This cat-and-mouse game, and the legal documents behind it, will fuel conversations beyond the field for months.
Here’s a look at 10 of the most interesting buyout situations around the country in 2025, including coaches with big (or small) severance packages who could nonetheless be on the hot seat and prominent coaches who don’t have to pay a whole lot to leave their current school for another suitor:
College football’s most interesting buyouts in 2025
It’s getting a little awkward for Dabo Swinney in his 18th season as Clemson’s head coach, and the team’s 2-3 start to the season included Swinney alluding to a time when perhaps he is no longer the Tigers’ coach and instead coaches elsewhere. Well, interestingly enough, the amount it would cost Swinney to leave for a school other than Alabama is just $3 million as of Jan. 1, according to his contract.
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Swinney and Clemson previously had a personalized clause written into his contract related to becoming the head coach at Alabama. He would owe 150% of his buyout figure to leave Clemson for Alabama (or $4.5 million as of Jan. 1). Swinney was a wide receiver at Alabama (1990-92) and previously served as an assistant coach at his alma mater.
Clemson would owe Swinney $60 million if he were fired on or before Dec. 31. That figure drops to $57 million on Jan. 1, but that’s still a steep price for a coach with a remarkable track record. Whether this relationship ends is likely Swinney’s decision to make — for now.
James Franklin, Penn State
James Franklin’s record against top-10 opponents and inability to win the Big Ten has long led to grumbling among a vocal minority of Penn State fans, and his name is often mentioned in high-profile coaching searches because of his otherwise strong record. But after Penn State suffered a stunning loss at UCLA on Oct. 4, the noise is a lot louder. The Nittany Lions have a quandary.
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It just so happens Franklin’s buyout to break his contract at Penn State and leave for another school drops to $1 million on Jan. 1. It would cost the university more than $48 million to fire Franklin as of Dec. 1. If the Nittany Lions indeed don’t live up to expectations this season, as their current course suggests, will it lead Franklin to look elsewhere for a fresh start? He hasn’t yet, but the narrative is already out there and it’s less expensive for him to do so than ever before.
Hugh Freeze, Auburn
The Hugh Freeze era in Auburn appears to be on uneven terrain in Year 3 with an unforgiving SEC schedule just beginning and the Tigers in danger of missing a bowl game for the second year in a row. The Auburn brass hasn’t been afraid to throw large amounts of money around to make coaches go away in the past. They did it with Gus Malzahn and just did it with Bryan Harsin in 2022 before hiring Freeze. The school would owe Freeze less than $15.4 million if it were to terminate his contract as of Dec. 1, to be paid in monthly installments through the end of his contract in January 2029. That figure drops to about $10.5 million after the 2026 season.
Brent Key, Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets are thriving under alum Brent Key and he’s likely to be an intriguing candidate during this coaching cycle given the turnaround he’s orchestrating at Georgia Tech and his Nick Saban ties as a former Alabama offensive line coach. Key’s buyout to leave for another school drops from $4 million to $3 million starting Jan. 1 under his current deal. That isn’t likely to be enough money to keep an SEC team away if it zeroes in on Key, but the date could be part of negotiations if neither side is involved in the College Football Playoff.
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Kenny Dillingham got a nice compensation bump with a new extension and will earn more than $7.4 million in 2025, according to a USA TODAY analysis of his latest contract amendment. The deal also now features automatic one-year extensions for surpassing certain win thresholds starting this season. The new contract came following Arizona State’s run to the College Football Playoff last year.
But Dillingham’s deal also includes a revamped buyout package if another school were to try and hire him. Under his previous deal, Dillingham would have owed Arizona State $2.5 million to take another job after Dec. 1. That figure is now $4 million and drops to $3 million on Dec. 1, 2027. It still might not be enough to keep suitors with deep pockets away if the 35-year-old continues to win big, despite his strong ties to the university.
Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Stoops might be considered a fringe name on college football’s coaching hot-seat list, but given the Wildcats’ start in 2025 and their tough schedule in October, his seat could warm by year’s end. Stoops earns $9 million annually, and his contract lasts through June 30, 2031. Depending on who you ask, he may stay in Lexington for a few more seasons because of the financial implications.
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If Stoops is fired without cause, he is entitled to the entirety of his buyout, which currently exceeds $38 million, within 60 days of his termination. That is a lot of coin for the Bluegrass faithful to come up with, but when Jimbo Fisher was fired from Texas A&M in 2023, he received $19.2 million of his more than $75 million buyout within 60 days and is currently being paid $7.2 million annually through 2031 to sit on the couch.
Dan Mullen, UNLV
Dan Mullen just got back into the college coaching ranks at UNLV and the liquidated damages included in his new contract suggest both sides know returning to a Power Four conference job is Mullen’s end-goal here. The former Mississippi State and Florida coach is a popular candidate for some of the early coaching searches to open up this season, but Mullen or the Power Four conference school attempting to hire him would owe UNLV $7 million on or before Dec. 1. That figure then drops to $6 million on Dec. 2, with an annual $1 million decrease in subsequent years of the contract. The agreement runs through the 2029 season. There are two separate buyout numbers — one if Mullen were to leave UNLV for a Power Four job and another if he were to go to a non-Power Four school — written into the deal.
Lane Kiffin keeps winning big games at Ole Miss and his $9 million salary is competitive with the upper-half of the SEC, but his name seems to come up in job discussions every offseason and likely will again this year. That’s, in part, because of his contract setup. It would cost Kiffin (or more likely, the school trying to lure him away) just $2 million to leave Ole Miss for another head coaching job as of Jan. 1. Is a desperate school willing to break the bank and make the outspoken and unorthodox offensive guru one of the highest-paid coaches in the country? Kiffin has it rolling so well at Ole Miss right now, it’s going to take a lot to get him to leave.
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Matt Campbell is in the midst of his 10th season, having never jumped at the temptation to leave Iowa State, and just signed a new contract extension through 2032 after last year’s 11-win campaign. But the Cyclones are off to a fast start again and his consistent track record at a school not used to sustained success will be an attractive option in the coaching carousel, especially when those prospective employers look at the buyout. Campbell would owe Iowa State just $2 million if he were to leave for another FBS coaching job. It’s just not clear at this point if he wants to ever leave Iowa State.
Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Curt Cignetti signed a lucrative extension through the 2032 season after leading Indiana to the College Football Playoff in his first year there, but his new contract is different than those inked by his Big 12 counterparts at Iowa State and Arizona State. It would cost Indiana $56.7 million to move on from Cignetti (why would they right now?). But more importantly, Cignetti would owe Indiana $13 million before Dec. 1. It drops to $10 million on Dec. 1, 2027 and doesn’t fall below $5 million until 2029. That should be a serious deterrent for Indiana, at least for a few years.
USA TODAY reporter Scooby Axson contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football’s most interesting contract buyouts for 2025 coaches
