North Carolina’s Hubert Davis is among the 30 highest-paid men’s basketball coaches, according to USA TODAY Sports' annual review of coaching compensation.
After signing a contract extension in December 2024, Davis became the highest paid coach among public schools in the ACC. The information of Davis' two-year contract extension wasn't released publicly until February.
Of the salary information calculated by USA TODAY Sports and gathered from 13 of the ACC’s 18 programs, Davis tops the list among those ACC coaches at $3.75 million in total pay for the 2024-25 season, including $3 million in school pay.
The list excludes salary information of coaches at private universities, which includes: Duke’s Jon Scheyer, Stanford’s Kyle Smith, SMU’s Andy Enfield, Syracuse’s Adrian Autry and Notre Dame’s Micah Shrewsberry.
Davis, 54, was making $2.6 million in total pay for the 2023-24 season, outside of the top 50 highest-paid coaches. His school pay was $1.85 million in his third season, which ended with him being named ACC Coach of the Year after leading the Tar Heels to the ACC regular-season championship. Davis received $450,000 in paid bonuses last season.
Davis also earns $750,000 in outside income, with the potential for $1.25 million in max bonuses. His buyout is $6,562,500 – that’s the amount the school would owe Davis if he is fired without cause on April 1.
Davis has a career record of 99-43 overall across four seasons, including a 56-24 mark in the ACC. The fourth-year coach can reach 100 career victories with one more win in the ACC Tournament.
Kansas’ Bill Self is the sport’s highest-paid coach in college basketball, followed by Arkansas’ John Calipari, UConn’s Dan Hurley, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and UCLA’s Mick Cronin to round out the top five salaries.
Duke basketball Jon Scheyer partial-year pay
Private universities generally aren't required to disclose coach salary information. Jon Scheyer’s total of $1,711,114 represents partial-year pay to Scheyer in his capacity as head coach in 2022, according to USA TODAY Sports reporter Steve Berkowitz.
Figures for private schools are based on federal tax records showing pay for the 2022 calendar year. Scheyer, who is in his third season as head coach, was an assistant to Mike Krzyzewski prior to taking over in April 2022.
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Scheyer signed a six-year contract extension through the 2028-29 season.
NC State basketball Kevin Keatts buyout
Following an ACC Tournament championship and Final Four run in 2024, N.C. State basketball finished with a losing record and didn’t qualify for this year’s conference tourney.
N.C. State athletics director Boo Corrigan announced March 9 that head coach Kevin Keatts would not return to lead the Wolfpack.
With that move, N.C. State owes Keatts a buyout of around $7.8 million after his contract was automatically extended because of the postseason success. Should he find another coaching position, N.C. State will have part of its financial commitment offset by his new salary.
Keatts received $500,000 in bonuses in the 2023-24 season and his total pay for the 2024-25 season is listed as $3,668,265.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to[email protected].