Wins have added money for NC State’s Dave Doeren. Here’s how his pay stacks up in ACC

With an upcoming bowl trip following another nine-win campaign, N.C. State football coach Dave Doeren has already earned a little extra cash this season (9-3, 6-2 ACC).

In April, he signed a two-year contract extension that runs through 2025 and bumped his pay.

But where does Doeren, nine years in at N.C. State, stack up compared to other college football coaches?

The contract extension Doeren signed is worth $3.5 million annually, with an additional $1.3 million in potential bonuses. Doeren’s current salary ranks in the middle of the ACC, based on USA Today’s college football head coach salaries database.

Doeren’s previous deal, a five-year contract signed in 2019, was worth $3.25 million annually and ran through the 2023 season.

After leading his team to an 8-4 record (7-3 in ACC) during the 2020 season, athletics director Boo Corrigan offered Doeren the extension with the $250,000 raise.

Having already earned a $100,000 bonus for winning nine games this year, some of the other bonuses listed in that extension are still in play for Doeren.

He’ll get at least $25,000 for playing in a bowl game — and $50,000 for a bowl win. Since a bowl win would bring the Wolfpack to 10 wins, Doeren would also see the $100,000 he’s already earned for reaching nine wins increase to $150,000 if N.C. State reaches double-digit wins.

Doeren will get another $50,000 if his team finishes in the top 25 of the final College Football Playoff rankings. N.C. State is currently No. 18.

If the Wolfpack finishes in the top 15, Doeren will get $100,000.

For winning nine games, there is also a bonus for his staff’s compensation pool to increase by $300,000. With 10 wins, that number would grow to $400,000.

That bonus is huge considering the job defensive coordinator Tony Gibson did. By the last game of the regular season the Pack was down seven starters on defense. N.C. State finished second in the league in scoring defense, third in total defense and third in rushing. The Wolfpack defense also led the ACC in interceptions. Gibson could be an attractive name on the market for teams looking to upgrade on that side of the ball.

How Doeren’s pay stacks up in ACC

Like Doeren, Mack Brown’s latest deal, signed in March, also runs through 2025 and is worth $3.5 million annually.

In the ACC, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is in a league of his own. The 10-year deal he signed in 2019 is worth $9.3 million annually and runs through 2028.

At least six ACC coaches started this college football season with contracts worth more annually than Doeren’s current deal, according to USA Today’s latest salary database.

Among them are Pittsburgh’s Pat Narduzzi ($4.8 million) and Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson, who will meet in this weekend’s ACC championship game. Clawson signed an extension recently, but the terms were not disclosed. His previous deal paid him $3.6 million, based on USA Today’s database.

Florida State’s Mike Norvell, who just completed his second season leading the Seminoles, has a six-year deal that runs through 2025 and is worth $4.4 million annually. Norvell is 0-2 against Doeren and has gone 8-13 his first two seasons coaching FSU.

Virginia’s Bronco Mendenhall ($4.25 million), in his sixth season, is 36-38 leading the Cavaliers. He is also 0-2 against Doeren.

Syracuse coach Dino Babers ($3.5 million) has led the Orange to one bowl game in six seasons and is 1-5 against Doeren.

Former Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuentte ($4.25 million), who was let go on Nov. 16, was among the ACC coaches who made more than Doeren.

Tax records for private schools Boston College and Miami were not available when USA Today last updated its database in October. Many of coaches, including Doeren and Brown, also took salary reductions in response to the pandemic.

Impact of the coaching carousel

With a coaching carousel that has already seen big jobs like LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and USC come open, a number of schools have agreed to big extensions with their coaches in an effort to keep them around.

Penn State’s James Franklin recently inked a 10-year extension worth $7.5 million annually. The Nittany Lions are 11-10 the last two seasons.

In his second season as Michigan State’s head coach Mel Tucker led the Spartans to 10 wins. That resulted in a big pay day as he signed a 10-year, $95 million deal this month.

Over the last two years Doeren has led the Pack to a 17-7 record.

With his accomplishments and many programs, like Penn State and Michigan State, agreeing to new deals in an effort to retain their coaches as jobs continue to come open, will N.C. State follow suit with a new deal for Doeren?

Doeren’s name hasn’t been circling for current openings, which should put Wolfpack fans at ease. But, in recent days, jobs are opening as fast as they are being filled.

Doeren’s current contract runs through the end of the 2025 calendar year.