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If you'd just like to peruse the full list yourself, it can be found here.
So what were Auburn assistant coaches making in 2014? From top to bottom, here they are:
| SCHOOL | CONF | ASSISTANT COACH | SCHOOL PAY | OTHER PAY | TOTAL PAY | MAX BONUS | STAFF PAY TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | SEC | Ellis Johnson | $850,000 | -- | $850,000 | $252,500 | $4,645,000 |
| Auburn | SEC | Rodney Garner | $600,000 | -- | $600,000 | $177,500 | $4,645,000 |
| Auburn | SEC | Melvin Smith | $600,000 | -- | $600,000 | $190,000 | $4,645,000 |
| Auburn | SEC | Rhett Lashlee | $600,000 | -- | $600,000 | $190,000 | $4,645,000 |
| Auburn | SEC | Dameyune Craig | $500,000 | -- | $500,000 | $165,000 | $4,645,000 |
| Auburn | SEC | Charlie Harbison | $475,000 | -- | $475,000 | $158,750 | $4,645,000 |
| Auburn | SEC | J.B. Grimes | $370,000 | -- | $370,000 | $132,500 | $4,645,000 |
| Auburn | SEC | Tim Horton | $325,000 | -- | $325,000 | $121,250 | $4,645,000 |
| Auburn | SEC | Scott Fountain | $325,000 | -- | $325,000 | $121,250 | $4,645,000 |
Auburn was third on the list in terms of total staff pay in the nation. It is also third in the nation in the SEC. The Tigers are behind Alabama and LSU, with the total payout being $4,645,000. This does not include Gus Malzahn's salary or the money still being paid to former head coach Gene Chizik. Auburn will be on the hook for Ellis Johnson's salary for a further two years.
The lowest compensated staff in the SEC on record (Vanderbilt is a private school and doesn't report their numbers) is Ole Miss. Their total assistant salary number is $2,596,000. Mississippi State is just above them at $2,682,500.
It's also worth noting that this is only the assistant coaches on the field. It does not count the support and scouting staff and other off-field jobs associated with the football program.
If Auburn does hire Will Muschamp for a salary in the $1.7 million dollar range, it would make him the highest paid assistant in college football by far. That title is currently held by Virginia Tech's Bud Foster, who earns $1,369,500 after his combined "school" and "other" pay.
If we subtract Ellis Johnson's numbers from the total, it would take Auburn's assistant coaches compensation goes down to $3,795,000. Then add in the assumed range of $1.7 million for Will Muschamp. The tally for next season (assuming no other coaches leave or receive raises) would jump to $5,495,000. This would make Auburn's staff the second highest staff in terms of total salary behind LSU. The difference would be $4,269.
I wouldn't hold my breath on that being the last staff change, though. If Auburn hires Will Muschamp, there will be further staff changes. We don't know who may be let go or reassigned and who else brought in, but there will be changes.
Just to show you some of the differences in big programs and small programs, my other favorite team (Georgia Southern) has a total staff compensation number of $786,500. The entire Georgia Southern staff (aside from head coach Willie Fritz) makes less than Auburn's defensive coordinator did by himself. Georgia Southern's head coach only earns $400,000.
And Georgia Southern isn't even at the very bottom. That would be Idaho at $699,088.
I picked the wrong career field.