Lance Leipold contract: Kansas football coach receives salary bump to $7 million per season

Leipold has steadily built Kansas into a legitimate Big 12 competitor during his 3-year tenure

By Will Backus Feb 28, 2024 at 1:22 pm ET• 2 min read

Kansas and coach Lance Leipold have agreed to a new contract that will put his annual salary above $7 million, the school announced Wednesday. The deal solidifies Leipold's status as one of the three highest-paid coaches in the Big 12, falling in the same range as Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy and Oklahoma's Brent Venables -- at least until the Sooners depart for the SEC this summer. The agreement does not extend the length of Leipold's contract, which still runs through 2029.

"We are incredibly proud of what our football program has accomplished over the first three seasons in Lawrence, and look forward to the continued challenge of bringing a consistent winner and championship home to the University of Kansas," Leipold said in a statement released by the school. 

Leipold made just under $6 million in 2023 when he guided the Jayhawks to a 9-4 record, their highest win total since 2007. Leipold, who was hired in 2021 following a successful stint at Buffalo, has steadily rebuilt Kansas after the program suffered over a decade of consecutive losing seasons. 

He went 2-10 in his first season with the Jayhawks before engineering one of the nation's most impressive turnarounds in 2022, leading Kansas to a 6-6 regular season showing and an appearance in the Liberty Bowl -- their first postseason berth since 2008. Kansas opened that year 5-0 and climbed into the AP Top 25 for the first time in 13 years.