Dave Aranda & Matt Canada Make List Of Highest Paid Coaches

LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda and offensive coordinator Matt Canada were both included in USA TODAY Sports' list of the highest-paid assistant coaches in College Football.

Aranda was the highest paid coach with a "total pay of $1.8 million," which the website says is "Worth it (barely)."

Canada was No. 4 on the list with a "total pay of $1.5 million," with the website saying he is "Overpaid."

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1. Dave Aranda, LSU defensive coordinator

Total pay: $1.8 million

Verdict: Worth it (barely). LSU wasn't a defensive juggernaut during the regular season, but Aranda does deserve credit for leading his unit to another top-20 finish. The Tigers rank 13th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense and 17th in scoring defense and won six of their final seven games to earn a spot in the Citrus Bowl against Notre Dame. There's some value in consistency, too; Over the past four years, Aranda's units at Wisconsin and LSU have ranked eighth, on average, in scoring defense at the end of the regular season.

4. Matt Canada, LSU offensive coordinator

Total pay: $1.5 million

Verdict: Overpaid. In Canada's first season as offensive coordinator, the Tigers are ranked 54th in total offense and in the bottom half of the country in scoring at 28.1 points per game (No. 72 overall). Head coach Ed Orgeron even "stepped in" to make a few changes to Canada's system.

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Here is the Top 10 Highest-paid assistant football coaches:

1. LSU DC Dave Aranda $1,800,000
2. Clemson DC Brent Venables $1,700,000
3. Texas A&M DC John Chavis $1,608,000
4. LSU OC Matt Canada $1,505,000
5. Michigan DC Don Brown $1,300,000
6. Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt $1,300,000
7. Auburn DC Kevin Steele $1,200,000
8. Alabama OC Brian Daboll $1,200,000
9. Tennessee DC Bob Shoop $1,155,000
10. Michigan OC Pep Hamilton $1,150,000

Complete List