Pat Narduzzi contract, explained: How Pitt salary compares to Marcus Freeman, other highest-paid coaches originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Pitt Panthers are having a big season. Heading into Week 12, Pitt is 7-2 with a chance to make the ACC Championship Game. Ranked 22nd in the College Football Playoff, the Panthers also have a shot at the CFP.
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On Saturday, Pitt can take a big step in the rankings if it can pull off an upset over No. 10 Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are considered a playoff team, so the Panthers would get a résumé-building win with a victory.
The credit for Pitt’s big season goes to head coach Pat Narduzzi, who is in his 11th season with the Panthers. If Pitt reaches 11 wins this season, it’ll match the Panthers’ 11-3 season in 2021.
Let’s take a look at Narduzzi’s contract with Pitt, as well as how it compares to some other coaches inside the ACC.
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Pat Narduzzi contract details
Narduzzi has been at Pitt since 2015. In March of 2022, just months after that aforementioned 11-win season, the school signed its head coach to a new contract that would keep him in the Steel City through the 2030 season.
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Although the exact financials of his new deal were not released by the school, his annual salary is listed as $7,259,909 on USA Today’s coaching salary database. ESPN reported in 2022 that his previous salary was $4.8 million.
Narduzzi’s is Pitt’s longest-tenured head coach since Jock Sutherland. From 1924–38, Sutherland won 111 games for the Panthers and is the school’s winningest head coach. Narduzzi is the program’s second-winningest coach with 79 career victories, surpassing the famous Pop Warner, who had 60.
Narduzzi’s buyout is not listed in the USA Today database, but based on his annual salary, it’s estimated to be around $36 million.
MORE:College football picks for Week 12
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Pat Narduzzi salary vs. Marcus Freeman
Narduzzi’s salary is actually very close to Marcus Freeman’s, who is making $7,421,201 this season.
Notre Dame is not in the ACC, still playing as an independent. But its agreement with the conference requires the Irish to play five ACC games per season. The Irish have beaten Pitt in the last four meetings, in 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2023 during Freeman’s second season as the Irish’s head coach.
MORE: Who founded Notre Dame and where is it located?
Pat Narduzzi salary vs. other ACC coaches
Here’s a look at how Narduzzi’s salary compares to the other head coaches in the ACC. As you can see, he is the fourth highest-paid coach in the conference, behind the likes of Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, UNC’s Bill Belichick and Miami’s Mario Cristobal.
|
Coach |
School |
Salary |
|
Dabo Swinney |
Clemson |
$11,447,025 |
|
Bill Belichick |
North Carolina |
$10,100,000 |
|
Mario Cristobal |
Miami |
$8,302,883 |
|
Pat Narduzzi |
Pitt |
$7,259,909 |
|
Dave Doeren |
NC State |
$6,215,377 |
|
Jeff Brohm |
Louisville |
$5,981,057 |
|
Mike Norvell |
Florida State |
$5,650,000 |
|
Justin Wilcox |
Cal |
$4,800,000 |
|
Brent Pry* |
Virginia Tech |
$4,787,500 |
|
Brent Key |
Georgia Tech |
$4,500,000 |
|
Tony Elliott |
Virginia |
$4,406,000 |
|
Rhett Lashlee |
SMU |
$2,470,818** |
*Brent Pry was fired in Sept. 2025
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**Rhett Lashlee signed an extension with SMU earlier this month, reportedly making him one of the top-10 highest-paid coaches in the country.
MORE: Projected College Football Playoff bracket for Week 12
Highest-paid coaches
Narduzzi’s annual salary is far lower than some of the other highest-paid coaches in the country. Per USA Today, his annual salary ranks 28th nationally.
According to Front Office Sports, these are the top 20 highest-paid head coaches in 2025:
-
Georgia’s Kirby Smart: $13.2 million
-
Ohio State’s Ryan Day: $12.5 million
-
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti: $11.6 million
-
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney: $11.5 million
-
Oregon’s Dan Lanning: $11 million
-
Colorado’s Deion Sanders: $10.8 million
-
Texas’ Steve Sarkisian: 10.8 million (tied for fifth)
-
Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer: $10.25 million
-
USC’s Lincoln Riley: $10.2 million
-
UNC’s Bill Belichick: $10 million
-
LSU’s Brian Kelly: $9.9 million
-
Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz: $9 million
-
Kentucky’s Mark Stoops: $9 million (tied for 11th)
-
Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin: $9 million (tied for 11th)
-
Tennessee’s Josh Heupel: $9 million (tied for 11th)
-
Penn State’s James Franklin: $8.5 million
-
Oklahoma’s Brent Venables: $8.5 million
-
Miami’s Mario Cristobal: $8 million
-
Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell: $7.725 million
-
Washington’s Jedd Fisch: $7.75 million
-
Florida’s Billy Napier: $7.29 million
MORE:CFB’s highest-paid coaches
Pat Narduzzi coaching record
Narduzzi is 79-58 over his 11 seasons at Pitt, including a 2-5 record in bowl games. The Panthers have had just two losing seasons under Narduzzi, going 5-7 in 2017 and 3-9 in 2023. He’s led Pitt to two ACC title games, including a 45-21 win over Wake Forest in 2021.
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