Financial Scenario Modeling
College Coaching Buyout Simulator
Simulate the exact cost to terminate any NCAA head coach as of any calendar date. Explore step-down schedules, daily amortization savings, and future employment mitigation offsets.
Interactive Financial Modeler
Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost
See how contract amortization, date milestones, and mitigation clauses reduce buyout liability over time.
IO
Kirk FerentzUntouchable
Iowa • Big Ten • Contract thru 2029-01-31
Annual Salary
$7,175,000
Current Buyout (Today)
$25,729,167
Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (868 days remaining on contract)
Or pick any exact date:
Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16
$25,729,167
Official USA Today Verified Buyout
Savings by Delaying to This Date
$0
Natural amortization saves $16,697 / day
If Coach Leaves Voluntarily
$2,000,000
Amount coach / hiring team owes Iowa
Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)
Important: Kirk Ferentz's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, Iowa is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!
Contract Calculation Formula:
USA Today FOIA benchmark: $25,729,167. Salary and buyout aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline.
💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$3.05M.
Why does the date matter so much in coaching buyouts?
1. Daily Salary AmortizationBecause coaches are paid on monthly or bi-weekly cycles, every single day that passes pays out a portion of their annual base and supplemental salary, naturally reducing the remaining guaranteed liability.
2. Contractual Step-Down DatesMany deals (such as Dabo Swinney’s contract at Clemson) have contractual cliffs on January 1st or December 1st where buyouts instantly drop by $5M to $8M overnight.
3. Hiring Windows & MitigationWaiting to fire a coach until the coaching carousel is active in December makes it much more likely the coach lands a new coordinator or head coaching job quickly, triggering the duty to mitigate and saving the university millions in offsets.