Ohio State football's assistants salary pool largest in nation in 2022
Joey KaufmanOhio State’s salary pool for football assistant coaches is the largest in the nation this season.
That’s according to USA TODAY’s annual survey of assistant coach compensation at public schools across the Football Bowl Subdivision.
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The Buckeyes’ 10 on-field assistants are being paid a combined $8.83 million, a total that ranks ahead of Louisiana State ($8.56 million), Georgia ($8.4 million) and Alabama ($8.36 million), the only other programs that have dedicated more than $8 million to their staffs.
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is Ohio State’s highest-paid assistant with a base salary of $1.9 million as part of the first of a three-year agreement after arriving from Oklahoma State last January.
Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who is due just over $2 million, is the only assistant coach in the sport making more this year than Knowles.
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The salaries for Buckeyes offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and defensive line coach Larry Johnson are also in the seven-figures at $1.4 million and $1.133 million, respectively.
Among the rest of the staff, wide receivers coach Brian Hartline is making $950,000, offensive line coach Justin Frye is receiving $800,000 and running backs coach Tony Alford is picking up $750,000. Next are secondary coach Tim Walton at $700,000, safeties coach Perry Eliano at $500,000, quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis at $400,000 and special teams coordinator Parker Fleming at $300,000.
It was already known that Ohio State's assistant coaching salary pool was the largest in program history, surpassing $8 million for the first time in team history this season. OSU last had the highest-paid staff in the nation in 2018 with salaries totaling $7.38 million
In addition to their salaries, the assistant coaches are eligible for $1.877 million in combined bonuses after the Buckeyes secured a spot in the College Football Playoff earlier this week and can add $375,403 if they reach the final with an upset of Georgia in the Peach Bowl.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.