Uncovering College Hoops' Best Bargains: Top 5 Underpaid Coaches
Basketball fans know the multi-million dollar salaries commanded by top college coaches are simply the cost of doing business to attract and retain elite talent. However, every season a handful of brilliant strategists consistently get more wins per dollar than their famous, higher-paid peers. From rapid rebuilders to consistent overachievers, these are the coaches providing the biggest return on investment in 2022-23.
1. Lamont Paris, South Carolina ($2.3M)
Just two years into his tenure at South Carolina, Lamont Paris has the Gamecocks headed to just their second NCAA Tournament since 2004 and tied for the program’s most regular season wins (25) in over 50 years. The 49-year-old was hired after turning around Chattanooga, taking them from a 22-win combined record his first two seasons to a 27-8 mark and NCAA bid in 2021-22. His defensive principles learned under Bo Ryan at Wisconsin have the Gamecocks playing Final Four-caliber basketball at a bargain price.
2. T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State ($2.5M)
The meteoric rise continues for Otzelberger, who makes the underpaid list for the second straight season. After inheriting a 2-win team that went winless in the Big 12 in 2020-21, Otzelberger had Iowa State in the Sweet 16 last March in his first year. The Cyclones are even better this season, positioned for a top tournament seed and among Houston’s biggest challengers in the rugged Big 12 race. Optimistic Cyclone fans envisioning deep March runs are getting elite coaching at a mid-major price tag.
3. Matt Painter, Purdue ($3.7M)
Granted, Purdue’s postseason success under the 52-year-old has been lacking, including last year’s stunning first-round exit as a 1-seed. But Painter’s sustained excellence in West Lafayette cannot be overstated. The Boilermakers have won at least 25 games in 12 of his 18 seasons, highlighted by a current streak of three straight 29-win campaigns. Purdue appears primed to finally break through and make the program’s first Final Four since 1980, which would add that elusive missing piece to Painter’s rock-solid résumé at a middle-of-the-pack salary among high-majors.
4. Kyle Smith, Washington State ($1.5M)
Before Kyle Smith’s arrival in 2019, Washington State had not posted a winning record since 2011. The Cougars are headed to their first NCAA Tournament in 15 years this month thanks to Smith’s steady leadership and player development. Washington State recorded consecutive NIT appearances the last two seasons before this year’s breakthrough 16-win improvement and likely tournament at-large bid. All this from a program that had made just 6 career NCAA Tournament trips before Smith took over at a bargain $1.5 million annual salary.
5. Danny Sprinkle, Utah State ($900K)
You won’t find a bigger bargain in college hoops than Danny Sprinkle, who is making under $1 million to lead Utah State to a third straight NCAA Tournament. In just his first season, the 47-year-old won Mountain West Coach of the Year honors by guiding the Aggies to a 26-5 record and regular season conference title. Sprinkle’s $900,000 salary in 2023-24 is literally one-fifth of what consensus elite coaches like Rick Barnes and Tom Izzo will make. Yet he’s posted a sparkling 107-48 record with no losing seasons across five years as a Division I head coach.
With the transfer portal era providing more roster turnover than ever, finding undervalued coaching talent capable of quickly instilling defensive philosophies and player buy-in is invaluable. As these five prove, developing sustained success doesn’t require shelling out $4 million salaries every time. A keen evaluator of overlooked candidates can yield comparable results for a fraction of the cost.