How Hugh Freeze’s New Contract Compares To Conference USA

Hugh Freeze has reportedly agreed to an eight-year contract extension at Liberty that would keep him with the Flames through 2030, pending a buyout. It would also pay him $40 million, fully guaranteed, over the course of those eight years, which shakes out to $5 million per year.

Liberty are 7-1 this year and 33-12 (3-0 in bowl games) since Freeze was hired before the 2019 season.

The Flames are moving into Conference USA for the 2023 football season after playing as an FBS Independent. When they do, Freeze will be the highest paid football coach in the league. Frankly, it isn’t even relatively close - especially with many of the league’s highest-paid coaches among those moving to the American Athletic Conference next season.

Listed below are the publicly available salaries for the head coaches of current members of C-USA as well as those of the league’s other future members joining in the next few years.

Much of this information was provided by HKM Employment Attorneys LLP as well as other publicly available reports.

Current C-USA Members

UTSA: Jeff Traylor, average annual salary of $2.8 million (Current contract ends 2031)
WKU: Tyson Helton, base salary of $900,000 (Current contract ends Dec. 31 2025)
North Texas: Seth Littrell, base salary of $1.35 Million (Current contract ends following 2023 season)
Rice: N/A (Private universities are not required to disclose contract details)
*UAB: Bill Clark, average annual salary of $1.575 million (Current contract ends 2026)
UTEP: Dana Dimel, base annual salary of $850,000 (Current contract ends 2024)
FIU: Mike MacIntyre, base annual salary of $750,000 (Current contract ends Dec. 15, 2026)
Florida Atlantic: WIllie Taggart, base annual salary of $750,000 (Current contract ends Dec. 31, 2024)
LA Tech: Sonny Cumbie, base annual salary of $970,000 (Current contract ends Jan. 31, 2027)

***Middle Tennessee: base salary of $821,000 (Current contract ends December of 2028)

**Charlotte: Will Healy, average annual salary of $489,285.71

*Bryant Vincent is currently UAB’s interim head coach following Clark’s sudden retirement over the summer.

**Healy was fired by Charlotte on October 23

***No official announcement from MTSU regarding latest extension

Other Future C-USA Members

NMSU: Jerry Kill, Average Annual Salary of $620,000 (Current contract ends after 2026 season)
Jacksonville State: Rich Rodriguez, Annual Salary of $500,000 (Current contract ends Dec. 31 2025)
*Sam Houston State: K.C. Keeler, Annual Salary of $400,000
Kennesaw State: Annual salary of $358,000 (Current contract ends 2026)

*Keeler’s current contract ended in August of 2022. The details of his new deal are not currently known.