The buyout economics of the 2026-27 coaching carousel: Baylor, NC State face stiff payouts — SkimNews
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- Baylor fired Dave Aranda after seven seasons and a 40-40 record, with the buyout reported at about $12 million; a 4-1 start was undone by losses to TCU and Kansas.
- Mike Locksley is owed roughly $9.75 million by Maryland with no offsets if he takes another job, half of it due within 60 days; he was let go after a 2-5 start that included losses to Rutgers, Virginia Tech and UCLA, even though his contract ran through 2028.
- Dave Doeren is owed about $10.3 million by NC State to buy out the remainder of his contract through 2029, with a little more than $600,000 due within 30 days and the rest in monthly installments; a clause requiring reasonable efforts to find another job could offset the payout.
- Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported Baylor's roughly $12 million figure, matching the amount believed to have applied last season; as a private school, Baylor does not release coaching contracts the way public schools must.
- Philip Rivers, the former NC State quarterback, is the early candidate to watch to replace Doeren.
- Spencer Danielson of Boise State and Jeff Traylor of UTSA are among Baylor's replacement options, while Maryland's list includes Wake Forest's Jake Dickert, New Mexico's Jason Eck and Memphis' Charles Huff.
Why it matters: The three payouts are not alike: Maryland's $9.75 million to Mike Locksley carries no offset if he lands another job, while NC State's $10.3 million to Dave Doeren can shrink under his contract's job-search clause. Baylor, as a private school, publishes no contract, so its $12 million figure remains reported rather than disclosed.
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