USA TODAY Sports released its annual assistant coaches salary database Wednesday. Ohio State's nine assistants ranked seventh nationally in total salary, bringing home a collective $4,583,100 in 2016.
LSU, Clemson, Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and Florida State all had higher total salaries for assistant coaches this season. Michigan was the second-highest paid staff among Big Ten schools. The Wolverines ranked 13th nationally in salary for assistants at $4,308,750 in 2016.
| NATIONAL RANK | COACH | TOTAL ANNUAL SALARY |
|---|---|---|
| No. 27 | Luke Fickell | $754,500 |
| No. 36 | Ed Warinner | $654,500 |
| No. 51 | Tim Beck | $604,500 |
| No. 56 | Greg Schiano | $600,000 |
| No. 115 | Larry Johnson | $479,500 |
| No. 152 | Kerry Coombs | $429,500 |
| No. 153 | Tony Alford | $429,500 |
| No. 189 | Greg Studrawa | $400,000 |
| No. 419 | Zach Smith | $231,100 |
Additionally, 19 schools had at least one higher paid assistant coach than the Buckeyes' top-paid assistant, co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell. Fickell made $754,500, according to the report, a figure which ranked No. 27 nationally among assistant coaches.
Other individual salaries for Ohio State assistant coaches were offensive coordinator Ed Warinner (36th nationally, $654,500); co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tim Beck (51st, $604,500); co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Greg Schiano (56th, $600,000); defensive line coach Larry Johnson (115th, $479,500); cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs (152nd, $429,500); running backs coach Tony Alford (153rd, $429,500); offensive line coach Greg Studrawa (189th, $400,000) and wide receivers coach Zach Smith (419th, $231,100).
The top-five highest paid assistant coaches in the country were Texas A&M's John Chavis ($1,558,000), Clemson's Brent Venables ($1,431,250), Alabama's Lane Kiffin ($1,400,000), LSU's Dave Aranda (1,315,000) and Louisville's Todd Grantham ($1,302,000).
Ohio State's assistant coaches ranked ninth nationally in total salary for the 2015 season.
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is the third-highest paid coach in the country. Meyer made $6,094,800 in 2016, according to USA TODAY Sports' database for head coaches.