At the turn of the new year, rumors concerning an NFL future for Lincoln Riley ran rampant. In an attempt to curb the conversation, the University of Oklahoma opted to renegotiate the head coach’s current contract. Agreeing to the new offer laid before him, Riley simply awaited for approval from the Board of Regents before making things official.

On Wednesday evening, the Oklahoma Sooners released the details of the amended contract which provided a significant bump in pay for the second year head coach. Over the course of two season, Riley’s program posted a 24-4 overall record while appearing in the College Football Playoff twice. Continuing to recruit at an extremely high level before cementing a full staff, it appears as though OU is on pace to secure a top five class this year. Needless to say, the work on and off the field warranted a five-year $25M decision.

God I wish I'd taken more than a semester of college math. Take II on Lincoln Riley:
2019 — $6 million
2020 — $6.15 mil
2021 — $7.3 mil
2022 — $6.45 mil
2023 — $6.6 mil
Fixed.#Sooners

— Guerin Emig (@GuerinEmig) January 30, 2019

Stating the work in Norman was left unfinished on the field, it’s no surprise that Riley and the university agreed to move forward together. However, the dollar figure likely cements the rising offensive mind for the long term. The only question that remains is where does the pay scale rank nationally?

Here’s the current top ten:

10. Willie Taggert, Scott Frost, Lovie Smith, Mike Gundy | $5M
9. Tom Herman | Texas Longhorns | $5.5M
8. Lincoln Riley | Oklahoma Sooners | $6M
7. Dan Mullen | Florida Gators | $6.07M
6. Dabo Swinney | Clemson Tigers | $6.54M
5. Kirby Smart | Georgia Bulldogs | $6.6M
4. Gus Malzahn | Auburn Tigers | $6.7M
3. Jimbo Fisher | Texas A&M Aggies | $7.5M
2. Jim Harbaugh | Michigan Wolverines | $7.504M
1. Nick Saban | Alabama Crimson Tide | $8.3M