The highest-paid coaches in the NCAA Tournament

John Calipari
John Calipari is the highest-paid coach in the NCAA Tournament. Getty Images
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The NCAA Tournament bracket is now set as 68 teams will compete to be NCAA champions in men's college basketball.

While the debate over paying players rages on, there is no dispute that many of the head coaches are well compensated.

Using data collected from USA Today, we ranked the 30 highest-paid coaches in this year's tournament. 

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30. Richard Pitino, Minnesota — $2.2 million

Richard Pitino
Andy Clayton-King/AP

Seasons at school: 6

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: First round

One thing to know: Pitino will receive a $450,000 "contract fulfillment incentive" if he is still the head coach in May.

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29. Ben Howland, Mississippi State — $2.2 million

Ben Howland
Michael Woods/AP

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 1

Best finish: N/A

One thing to know: Howland has taken four schools to the NCAA Tournament, including three straight Final Four appearances with UCLA.

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28. Mick Cronin, Cincinnati — $2.2 million

Mick Cronin
Troy Glasgow/AP

Seasons at school: 13

NCAA Tournament appearances: 9

Best finish: Sweet Sixteen

One thing to know: Cronin's 7-year extension goes through the 2020-21 season.

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27. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State — $2.3 million

Leonard Hamilton
Chuck Burton/AP

Seasons at school: 17

NCAA Tournament appearances: 7

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: Hamilton topped all coaches in 2018-18 with $890,000 in bonuses received.

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26. Fran McCaffery, Iowa — $2.3 million

Fran McCaffery
Darron Cummings/AP

Seasons at school: 9

NCAA Tournament appearances: 4

Best finish: Round of 32

One thing to know: In 1999, Iowa forced out Tom Davis despite leading the Hawkeyes to the NCAA Tournament nine times in 14 seasons. Iowa is back in the tournament for just the seventh time in 20 seasons since.

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25. Greg Gard, Wisconsin — $2.4 million

Greg Gard
Andy Clayton-King/AP

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 3

Best finish: Sweet Sixteen

One thing to know: After Wisconsin went 15-18 in 2017-18 and failed to reach the NCAA Tournament, the school gave Gard what was called a "standard" contract extension through 2022-23.

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24. Bobby Hurley, Arizona State — $2.4 million

Bobby Hurley
Darryl Webb/AP

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: First Four

One thing to know: Hurley signed an extension in 2018 that bumped his salary from $1.4 million. It will ultimately reach $2.5 billion (not including bonuses) in 2021. He will also receive a $1 million bonus if he is still the head coach on January 1, 2022.

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23. Will Wade, LSU — $2.5 million

Will Wade, LSU
Vasha Hunt/AP

Seasons at school: 2

NCAA Tournament appearances: 1

Best finish: N/A

One thing to know: Wade was indefinitely suspended by LSU after reports that he was caught on a federal wiretap discussing an "offer" to a recruit. 

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22. Bruce Pearl, Auburn — $2.6 million

Bruce Pearl
Mark Humphrey/AP

Seasons at school: 5

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: Round of 32

One thing to know: Pearl's new extension will give him a $100,000 pay raise each year.

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21. Bruce Weber, Kansas State — $2.6 million

Bruce Weber
Orlin Wagner/AP

Seasons at school: 7

NCAA Tournament appearances: 5

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: Weber will receive a $500,000 retention bonus if he is still the head coach in May, according to USA Today.

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20. Mike White, Florida — $2.6 million

Mike White
Mark Humphrey/AP

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 3

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: White was making less than $2.0 million but got a big raise after taking Florida to the Elite Eight in 2017.

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19. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse — $2.7 million

Jim Boeheim
Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Seasons at school: 43

NCAA Tournament appearances: 34

Best finish: NCAA Champions

One thing to know: Boeheim does not want players to be paid, saying, "And everybody says, 'The coach makes this and the players (don't make anything).' The player is 17 years old. I've been working my whole life. There's a lot of 17-year-old kids that don't make money. Most of them. These 17-year-old kids are getting a $75,000 scholarship. And they compare that to a coach making all this money. What's the comparison there? I'm a grown man. I've been working for 50 years. That's just not a comparison. It makes no sense."

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18. Chris Beard, Texas Tech — $2.8 million

Chris Beard, Texas Tech
Tony Gutierrez/AP

Seasons at school: 3

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: In 2018, Tech reached the Elite Eight for the first time and Beard took home $325,000 in bonuses for the strong season.

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17. Dana Altman, Oregon — $2.8 million

Dana Altman
Getty Images

Seasons at school: 9

NCAA Tournament appearances: 6

Best finish: Final Four

One thing to know: A recent contract extension has Altman signed at Oregon through the 2025-26 season.

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16. Matt Painter, Purdue — $2.8 million

Matt Painter
Michael Conroy/AP

Seasons at school: 14

NCAA Tournament appearances: 11

Best finish: Sweet Sixteen

One thing to know: Painter will receive a $24,000 bonus for making the tournament and would get another $24,000 for each win the first two rounds. His per-round bonus for wins goes up to $47,000 starting in the Sweet Sixteen.

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15. Mark Turgeon, Maryland — $2.8 million

Mark Turgeon
Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Seasons at school: 8

NCAA Tournament appearances: 4

Best finish: Sweet Sixteen

One thing to know: Turgeon recently signed an extension that will keep him at Maryland through the 2022-23 season.

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14. Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech — $3.0 million

Buzz Williams
Chuck Burton/AP

Seasons at school: 5

NCAA Tournament appearances: 3

Best finish: First Round

One thing to know: Williams is reportedly the "strong favorite" to be the next head coach at Texas A&M

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13. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State — $3.0 million

chris holtmann
Darron Cummings/AP

Seasons at school: 2

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: Round of 32

One thing to know: Holtman offered a recruit from Akron a scholarship before he ever played in a high school game and nearly five years before he will graduate from high school

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12. Scott Drew, Baylor — $3.1 million

Scott Drew
Getty Images

Seasons at school: 16

NCAA Tournament appearances: 8

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: Before the 2017-18 season, Drew had led Baylor to school-record 6-straight 20-win seasons and 4-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

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11. Lon Kruger, Oklahoma — $3.2 million

Lon Kruger
Sue Ogrocki/AP

Seasons at school: 8

NCAA Tournament appearances: 6

Best finish: Final Four

One thing to know: Kruger will receive a $600,000 "annual stay benefit" if he is still the coach on May 1, 2019, according to USA Today.

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10. Rick Barnes, Tennessee — $3.3 million

Rick Barnes
Mark Humphrey/AP

Seasons at school: 4

NCAA Tournament appearances: 2

Best finish: Round of 32

One thing to know: Barnes reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times in 17 years at Texas, including one Final Four. Texas has missed the tournament twice in the four years since and was knocked out in the first round in both trips.

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9. John Beilein, Michigan — $3.8 million

John Beilein
Kiichiro Sato/AP

Seasons at school: 12

NCAA Tournament appearances: 9

Best finish: National championship game

One thing to know: Beilein signed a new contract before the season that made him the third-highest-paid coach in the Big Ten.

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8. Jay Wright, Villanova — $3.9 million

Jay Wright
David J. Phillip/AP

Seasons at school: 18

NCAA Tournament appearances: 14

Best finish: NCAA Champions (2 times)

One thing to know: NBA teams are often rumored to be interested in hiring Wright, but so far he has rejected any offers, once saying he has "the best job in the country."

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7. Roy Williams, North Carolina — $3.9 million

Roy Williams
Getty Images

Seasons at school: 16

NCAA Tournament appearances: 15

Best finish: NCAA Champions (3 times)

One thing to know: Williams recently signed an extension that will keep him at the school through the 2027-28 season.

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6. Chris Mack, Louisville — $4.0 million

Chris Mack
Chuck Burton/AP

Seasons at school: 1

NCAA Tournament appearances: 1

Best finish: N/A

One thing to know: Louisville also paid Xavier $2.9 million to buy out Mack's contract in 2018. They also forked out more than $1.0 million in taxes for that transaction.

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5. Bill Self, Kansas — $4.1 million

Bill Self, Kansas Jayhawks
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Seasons at school: 16

NCAA Tournament appearances: 16

Best finish: NCAA Champions

One thing to know: Self would receive a $150,000 bonus for reaching the Final Four and an additional $200,000 if Kansas wins the national title.

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4. Tony Bennett, Virginia — $4.2 million

Tony Bennett
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Seasons at school: 10

NCAA Tournament appearances: 7

Best finish: Elite Eight

One thing to know: Bennett has the second-highest-reported buyout, according to USA Today, as it would cost the school $19.8 million if they wanted to fire him for some reason.

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3. Tom Izzo, Michigan State — $4.2 million

Tom Izzo Michigan State Spartans
AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Seasons at school: 24

NCAA Tournament appearances: 22

Best finish: NCAA Champions

One thing to know: Izzo continues to reject overtures from the NBA, including reportedly, the Orlando Magic last year.

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2. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke — $7.0 million

mike krzyzewski
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Seasons at school: 39

NCAA Tournament appearances: 35

Best finish: NCAA Champions (5 times)

One thing to know: Rumors are swirling that Coach K could retire soon, possibly after next season. Count LeBron James among those who hope the end is not near as he has strongly hinted that he wants his son to play at Duke for Krzyzewski.

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1. John Calipari, Kentucky — $9.3 million

John Calipari
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