BATON ROUGE - Sometimes, you do not get what you pay for.
For the fifth straight football season in 2016, LSU had the highest paid assistant coaching staff in the nation, according to data released by USA Today on Wednesday. And for the fifth straight year, the Tigers did not finish higher than second in the Southeastern Conference West Division and have finished third or lower for the last four seasons.
LSU, which finished 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the SEC for third in the West in the 2016 season, had the highest paid assistant coaching staff at $5,781,500 with defensive coordinator Dave Aranda coming in fourth in the nation among all assistant coaches at $1,315,000. Aranda may be the highest paid assistant in 2017 as he recently received a raise for next year to $1.8 million, but that will depend on potential raises for other assistant coaches.
No. 2 and 12-1 Clemson, which has made the College Football Playoff final four for the second straight year, has the No. 2 highest paid staff in the nation, excluding head coaches, at $5,390,417. Defending national champion and No. 1 Alabama (13-0), which is in the final four for the third straight year, is third in assistant coach salary at $5,320,000, followed by Texas A&M (8-4, 4-4 SEC for fourth in West) at $4,811,000 and Georgia (7-5, 4-4 SEC for third in East) at $4,675,000.
The highest paid college assistant coach in the land in 2016 was Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis at $1,558,000, but the former LSU defensive coordinator did not have a very good year. His defense finished 91st in the nation and 10th in the SEC in total defense with 444.2 yards allowed a game, including 622 to LSU in a 54-39 loss to the Tigers at Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night. Aranda's defense finished 13th in the nation and second in the SEC with 323 yards allowed a game.
Aranda recently received a one-year contract extension through the 2019 season. He will make $1.85 million in 2018 and $1.9 million in 2019.
“We are pleased to have the best defensive coordinator in all of college football with us at LSU,” LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said recently about Aranda's new deal. “Dave is an outstanding, coach, teacher and man. We are fortunate to have him as an LSU Tiger.”
Aranda came to LSU a year ago from Wisconsin, where his defenses consistently ranked in the top five in the nation in key statistical categories.
"We believe Coach Aranda is the best defensive coordinator in the country. We wanted to make sure he came home to an agreement that was fitting of the best," LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said.
“My family loves Baton Rouge,” Aranda, who is a native of Redlands, California, said in a LSU release. “We are excited to build on what we’ve started. LSU is a special place. Our outstanding student-athletes, the passion of our fans, the first class facilities and the commitment to excellence from the administration makes LSU one of the premier programs in college football. And I'm thrilled to be part of it.”
The second highest paid assistant coach in college football in 2016 was Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables at $1,431,250. Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, whom Orgeron has been trying to hire to be LSU's new offensive coordinator, is No. 3 on the salary list at $1,400,000. Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is No. 5 in assistant coach salary at $1,302,000. Grantham's defense will square off against LSU in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31 in Orlando, Florida, at 10 a.m. on ABC.
Former LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron was the No. 6 highest paid assistant in 2016 at $1,211,000. He was fired on Sept. 25 by Alleva along with head coach Les Miles. LSU tight ends coach Steve Ensminger replaced Cameron on an interim basis. Orgeron replaced Miles as interim coach before landing the job on Nov. 26. LSU was the only school in 2016 to have two assistant coaches in the top 10 in salary. And former LSU defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, whom Aranda replaced after the 2015 season when Steele went to Auburn, was the 10th highest assistant in 2016 at $1.1 million.
Orgeron was the 48th highest paid assistant coach in the nation before his promotion to interim coach at $621,000 when he was defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. He will make an additional $675,000 as interim coach, according to the LSU Board of Supervisors, for a total salary of $1,296,000. He will make $3.5 million a year as the head coach with a five-year contract.
LSU's next highest paid assistant coach in 2016 was wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig at $565,000 for 69th in the nation, followed by offensive line coach Jeff Grimes in 79th at $546,000, former special teams coach Bradley Dale Peveto in 123rd at $471,500, defensive back coach Corey Raymond in 262nd at $331,000, Ensminger in 274th at $321,000 and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke in 342nd at $280,000.
Pete Jenkins, who replaced Orgeron as defensive line coach four games into the season, made $75,000 in 2016 for 911th in the nation. Graduate assistant Dennis Johnson was promoted to tight ends coach to replace Ensminger as of Sept. 25 and made $45,000 for 961st in the nation.
More than 900 assistant coaches' salaries were posted in the USA Today's database.
Strength coaches' salaries were added to the USA Today's salary database for the first time. LSU strength coach Tommy Moffitt placed 13th in the nation in this category at $330,000 and sixth in the SEC. Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle topped the list at $625,204. Alabama strength coach Scott Cochran was No. 2 at $525,000.
