Ranking SEC basketball head coaches by salary from 2025-26 season
Who are the highest-paid SEC basketball coaches from 2025-26? Full salary rankings and where Bucky McMillan stands.
While Texas A&M's Bucky McMillan isn't one of the highest-paid head coaches in college basketball, he certainly proved why he should be. When McMillan was hired on April 4, 2025, he inherited a roster with only one scholarship player. Bucky recruited an impressive haul of transfer stars and turned Texas A&M into a national contender in just his first year at the helm.
The Aggies secured a win over Saint Mary's in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Houston in the second round. Texas A&M was an elite competitor at the top of the SEC throughout much of the season. Still, veteran head coaches like John Calipari, Rick Barnes and Todd Golden provided the league with extremely difficult obstacles to overcome, which is why they rank as the top-three highest-paid head coaches in the conference.
Here is where every SEC men's basketball head coach ranked in annual salary during the 2025-2026 athletic year: 1. John Calipari (Arkansas) 2025-2026 record: 28-9 (13-5 in SEC play) Total pay: $7,750,000 School pay: $7,750,000 Other pay: N/A Maximum bonus: N/A School buyout: $22,203,125 2. Rick Barnes (Tennessee) 2025-2026 record: 25-12 (11-7 in SEC play) Total pay: $6,200,000 School pay: $6,200,000 Other pay: N/A Maximum bonus: $3,000,000 School buyout: $12,250,000 3.
Todd Golden (Florida) 2025-2026 record: 27-8 (16-2 in SEC play) Total pay: $6,000,000 School pay: $5,750,000 Other pay: $250,000 Maximum bonus: $650,000 School buyout: $34,000,000 4. Chris Beard (Ole Miss) 2025-2026 record: 15-20 (4-14 in SEC play) Total pay: $6,000,000 School pay: $1,150,000 Other pay: $4,850,000 Maximum bonus: $875,000 School buyout: $23,625,000 5. Nate Oats (Alabama) 2025-2026 record: 25-10 (13-5 in SEC play) Total pay: $5,510,000 School pay: $5,510,000 Other pay: $0 Maximum bonus: $850,000 School buyout: $26,913,440 6.