Why Harbaugh Got Reid-Sized Bump in Pay

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Yes, indeed. Change can be good.

For John Harbaugh, that wasn’t just the advice Andy Reid gave him after Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti fired the Ravens’ head coach. It also describes Harbaugh’s new average annual compensation.

reid harbaug — Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks with Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

$3 million raise for getting fired

According to Sportico, Harbaugh got a $3 million bump in pay to become head coach of the New York Giants this week. In fact, his new contract – a reported $100 million over five years – aligns him with Reid as the highest-paid coach not only in the NFL but in all of U.S. sports.

Both Harbaugh and Reid are now at $20 million per year, the highest annual average compensation paid by a sports organization to a coach in the United States.

john harbaug — New Giants Head Coach John Harbaugh holds up a New York Giants helmet during a press conference welcoming Harbaugh at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Harbaugh, however, pays significantly more taxes than Reid because of tax laws in New Jersey compared to the Kansas City area.

At least the Giants and Chiefs didn’t have to give up a first-round draft pick to get their head coaches. Denver sent its first-round selection in 2023 and second-rounder in 2024 to New Orleans in order to sign Sean Payton to a contract that pays him $18 million on average per year (the Saints still controlled his rights after he stepped away, similar to the Steelers and Mike Tomlin).

sean payto — Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton during the first quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Lucrative AFC West

Payton ranks third in the country among highest-paid coaches, just ahead of the most lucrative non-NFL contract. Steve Kerr of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors earns $17.5 million annually, No. 4 on the list.

Next up is – another AFC West coach – the Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh, who ranks fifth at $16 million.

In other words, the Chiefs’ division isn’t simply one of the toughest in the NFL; it also pays head coaches on average more than any division in pro or college sports.

And needless to say, the Harbaugh brothers – and their brother in-law Tom Crean, former basketball head coach at Marquette, Indiana and Georgia – have formed the most lucrative coaching family in sports history.

steve ker — Jan 17, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts after a foul is called in favor of the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

Sportico, which broke down contracts for the 49 highest-paid pro and college coaches, rounded out its top 10 with Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat, Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers, Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers – all of whom average $15 million annually.

The highest-paid coaches from college programs are Kirby Smart at Georgia and Lane Kiffin at LSU, each of whom are making $13 million.

While Payton cost the Broncos significant compensation, salary and draft picks, he has led Denver to the playoffs in two of his first three seasons, including Denver’s first AFC championship berth since 2015.

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