College Football is unlike any other sport, as the coaches are asked to do far more than their professional counterparts, thus garnering insane contracts. Athletic Directors are often so certain they nailed the hire that they don't consider how long they'd be stuck with the coach if things go poorly.
The term buyout is constantly brought up in College Football as fans need to know how much it'll cost to fire their coach. While a few fanbases are ready to fire their head coach, 4 coaches have buyouts that are so big they likely can't be fired.
These 4 Head Coaches are saved by their buyout
If Penn State didn't have to stomach coughing up a $56 million buyout, it would almost be certain that James Franklin would be fired if not now then by the end of the season. The Nittany Lions are 3-3 with a 0-3 record in Big Ten play, where stunning losses to UCLA and Northwestern have put Franklin firmly on the hot seat. With Drew Allar out for the season, this team could fall even further, which would seal Franklin's fate.
Florida State gave Mike Norvell a massive contract extension before the 2024 season, and if that wasn't the case, he already would've been fired after the 2-10 disaster last season. This year started on a high note with a win over Alabama, but three straight losses in ACC play have sunk the Seminoles. If Florida State is going to consider paying Norvell's buyout, this season is going to need to look like 2024's disaster.
It's a well-known fact at this point that the only thing keeping Mark Stoops employed at Kentucky is the fact that he has a $37.7 million buyout. Over the last 4 seasons, the Wildcats have been 20-23 with a 7-20 record in SEC play, while the rest of the season will only make the figures look worse. The Wildcats will likely let Stoops finish this season and coach into 2026, making the buyout more manageable.
The Wisconsin Badgers got dominated again on Saturday, falling to 0-4 on the season against Power 4 opponents, and it's almost impossible to find a game left on their schedule that they can keep close, let alone win. The issue for the Badgers is that if they choose to move on from Luke Fickell, they'd have to pay the second-highest buyout in College Football history.