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USA Today updated their chart of assistant coaching salaries, which currently finds the Vols with the 15th highest paid staff in college football. Tennessee's $3.26 million for nine assistant coaches is expected to rise as part of Butch Jones' contract extension. LSU currently leads the way in college football with $5.49 million for assistant coaches, including $1.3 million for coordinators Cam Cameron and John Chavis. Alabama is second at $5.21 million; Kirby Smart ($1.35 million) makes almost twice Lane Kiffin's salary ($680,000), although I'd imagine he's in line for a raise. Smart is the second highest paid assistant in college football, just a few thousand dollars behind Bud Foster's legacy at Virginia Tech.
Tennessee has the sixth-highest paid staff in the SEC. At present Mike Bajakian and John Jancek lead the way at $480,000 annually apiece, putting them in a tie for 77th overall among all assistants. In the SEC it goes like this:
- Kirby Smart, Alabama Defense - $1.355
- Cam Cameron, LSU Offense - $1.315
- John Chavis, LSU Defense - $1.312
- Jeremy Pruitt, Georgia Defense - $851k
- Ellis Johnson, Auburn Defense - $850k (fired)
- Lorenzo Ward, South Carolina Defense - $755k
- Mark Snyder, Texas A&M Defense - $708k (fired)
- Kevin Steele, Alabama LBs - $702k
- Kurt Roper, Florida Offense - $700k (new head coach)
- Lane Kiffin, Alabama Offense - $680k
- Frank Wilson, LSU RBs - $665k
- Rodney Garner, Auburn DL - $600k
- Melvin Smith, Auburn DBs - $600k
- Dave Steckel, Missouri Defense - $600k
- Rhett Lashlee, Auburn Offense - $600k
- Dave Wommack, Ole Miss Defense - $585k
- Mike Bobo, Georgia Offense - $578k
- Geoff Collins, Mississippi State Defense - $575k
- Neal Brown, Kentucky Offense - $552k
- Jim Chaney, Arkansas Offense - $552k
- Josh Henson, Missouri Offense - $550k
- Travaris Robinson, Florida DBs - $510k
- Sam Pittman, Arkansas OL - $502k
- Mario Cristobal, Alabama OL - $502k
- D.J. Elliott, Kentucky Defense - $501k
- D.J. Durkin, Florida Defense - $500k
- Robb Smith, Arkansas Defense - $500k
- Dameyune Craig, Auburn WR - $500k
- Jake Spavital, Texas A&M Offense - $483k
- Mike Bajakian, Tennessee Offense - $480k
- John Jancek, Tennessee Defense - $480k
- Steve Stripling, DL - $385k
- Tommy Thigpen, LB - $375k
- Don Mahoney, OL - $355k
- Willie Martinez, DB - $355k
- Zach Azzanni, WR - $305k
- Robert Gillespie, RB - $305k
- Mark Elder, TE - $225k