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Lincoln Riley is one of the best college football coaches, and every year, it seems rumors are connecting him to an open NFL job. Riley said that he hasn't had any interest in leaving the Oklahoma Sooners for an NFL job, but things can always change and they can change quickly.
Riley signed a contract extension with the Sooners this off-season and with it comes a big buyout that might scare some teams off. According to the Tulsa World who did an open records request, Riley's buyout, if he were to leave the Sooners, is $4.9 million after the 2019 season. The buyout will drop each year by a million dollars until there is no buyout starting on March 16th, 2022.
The new deal Riley signed runs through 2023 and pays out a bonus of $1 million if he is still the head coach on April 1st, 2021. Riley is set to make $6 million this season which makes him the highest paid coach in Sooners history.
NFL coaches salary isn't public knowledge but according to sportscasting.com Bill Belichick was the highest paid in the league last year making an estimated salary of $12.5 million. Pete Carroll is projected to have the third-highest salary sitting right around $9 million.
If Riley were to make the jump to the NFL, he would probably be in line for a pay raise, but it might be difficult for a team that is willing to pay the big buyout.
If Riley does want to make the jump, it might be a couple of years, when the buyout in his contract has dropped a little bit.
