2025 Was the Year College Football Coaches Got Paid to Stay Put
In a year when college football’s coaching carousel spun faster than ever, the biggest surprise wasn’t who left-it was who stayed.
2025 saw a wave of firings at some of the sport’s most tradition-rich programs. Penn State, Michigan, Florida, and LSU all hit the reset button, creating a ripple effect that led to 14 Power 4 job openings.
It should’ve been open season for the sport’s rising stars. But instead of chasing new titles in new towns, many of the top names in coaching chose to stay right where they were-just with a lot more money in their pockets.
Freeman Stays Home, Giants Rumors Squashed
Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman became the latest to turn down the noise. On Monday, he announced he’s staying in South Bend with an enhanced contract, despite rumors linking him to the NFL and the New York Giants.
Freeman, who led the Fighting Irish to the brink of the College Football Playoff, was seen as one of the hottest names on the market. But in the end, Notre Dame’s commitment-and checkbook-spoke louder than any outside offer.
Freeman’s decision fits a broader trend: top coaches using the chaos of the coaching carousel to secure long-term stability and significant raises without uprooting their lives or programs.
Big Raises, Bigger Commitments
Take Clark Lea, for example. After guiding Vanderbilt to its most successful season in school history, he was a prime candidate for a step up. Instead, the Commodores opened their wallet to keep him-though as a private school, they’re not saying exactly how much they spent to do it.
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, the architect of the Hoosiers’ stunning rise to No. 1 in the rankings, landed a massive $93 million deal to stay in Bloomington. That’s not a typo.
Indiana football just paid nearly nine figures to keep their guy. And it makes sense-when you’ve built something historic, you don’t let it walk out the door.
Even Matt Rhule, whose tenure at Nebraska has been more “solid” than “spectacular,” got a two-year extension. Why? Because Penn State came calling, and the Huskers wanted no part of a bidding war.
And it wasn’t just the Big Ten making moves. Kalani Sitake was high on Penn State’s list after their first few options fell through.
But Utah’s business community rallied to keep him in Provo. Kenny Dillingham, despite a slight dip in performance at Arizona State, secured a five-year deal at $7.5 million per year.
Rhett Lashlee at SMU followed a similar path-after a CFP appearance in 2024 and a modest step back in 2025, he still got paid to stay.
Why They're Staying
So what’s really going on here?
In short, schools are realizing that in today’s college football landscape, it’s better to invest in a good coach than risk losing him-and starting over-in an increasingly volatile environment. The pressure to win hasn’t gone away, but the definition of success has shifted.
With NIL money now a core part of the sport, programs are finding it’s not just about hiring the right coach. It’s about proving you have the infrastructure-and the financial backing-to compete with the big boys.
That means keeping your coach happy. It means showing him you can pay players through NIL deals. And it means signaling to recruits, boosters, and fans that your program isn’t just surviving-it’s building something.
For many of these coaches, the decision to stay wasn’t just about money. It was about belief.
Belief that their programs can now compete in ways they couldn’t before. Belief that they don’t have to jump ship to chase a title.
And belief that the schools backing them are finally ready to act like contenders.
Notre Dame’s Unique Case
Freeman’s situation is slightly different. Notre Dame has always had the resources, the brand, and the national spotlight.
NIL didn’t suddenly make the Irish relevant-it just gave them another tool in the toolbox. And his biggest suitor wasn’t another college program, but an NFL franchise.
Still, his decision to stay fits the broader story: even the most attractive jobs can’t easily lure away college football’s top coaching talent anymore. Not when schools are willing to pay top dollar to keep them, and not when those coaches believe they can win right where they are.
The New Normal
2025 may go down as the year of the coaching purge, but just as notable was the wave of retention. Programs fired coaches for not being elite, only to find that the best replacements weren’t so eager to jump ship. Why leave a good thing when your current school is finally acting like it wants to play with the big boys?
And that’s the new reality. If you’re a school looking to make a splashy hire, you’re going to need more than tradition and a fancy stadium. You’ll need deep pockets, a clear NIL strategy, and a commitment that matches your ambition.
Because in 2025, coaches didn’t just get hired. They got paid. And they stayed.