Alabama is back in front of Clemson -- in football coaching salaries.
The University of Alabama's board of trustees on Wednesday approved contracts and salaries for Nick Saban's coaching staff, including seven new assistants.
The Crimson Tide's 10 on-field assistant coaches will make $7.541 million in basic annual compensation for the 2019 season. It represents an increase of about $1.4 million from what Alabama paid its assistants last season, and it is expected to be the most among FBS programs this coming season.
Last season, the Crimson Tide ($6.12 million) ranked seventh in the FBS -- and fifth in the SEC -- in assistant coaches' compensation, according to a database of contracts and salaries compiled by USA Today.
Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who returned to the Tide after working for the Atlanta Falcons in 2017-18, will be the highest paid assistant at $1.55 million this season. Newly promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding, one of three assistant coaches who stayed, will make $1.1 million.
Coaching staffs at Ohio State ($7.38 million), Clemson ($6.82 million), Texas A&M ($6.79 million), Auburn ($6.55 million), LSU ($6.47 million) and Georgia ($6.42 million) were paid more than Alabama's staff last season, according to the database.
With three coordinators now making more than $1 million each in 2019, defending national champion Clemson has already disclosed that its assistants will make a total of $7.195 million this coming season.
New Ohio State coach Ryan Day's staff will be paid a total of $7.245 million, with defensive coordinator Greg Mattison leading the way at $1.1 million annually.
Georgia will pay its 10 coaches about $6.1 million in 2019, after former defensive coordinator Mel Tucker left to become Colorado's head coach and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney left for Tennessee. Tucker and Chaney were the Bulldogs' two highest paid assistants last season.
None of Georgia's 10 assistant coaches will make at least $1 million in basic compensation in 2019.