Four highest-paid CBB coaches in the country already ousted from tournament

Some of the biggest names in men’s college basketball have already been eliminated from March Madness. 

With Kansas, Auburn, Kentucky, and Michigan State already out, some of the highest-paid head coaches are done with work earlier than expected.

As lower-seeded teams pull off the upsets and make their way deeper into the tournament, who exactly are the highest-paid coaches who have already had their seasons cut short?

The Auburn Tigers were completely stunned by none other than Yale in the Round of 64. Bruce Pearl’s squad lost in a heartbreaker in the First Round.

The First Round elimination is the earliest the Tigers have been knocked out of the NCAA Tournament since 1984. Every year the team has made it to the Big Dance, Auburn has at least made its way to the round of 32, until now.

Pearl’s payout this season was a whopping $5.73 million making him the fourth-highest-paid head coach in the nation. 

Tom Izzo’s team had one of the toughest matchups in the Second Round this season as they took on the UNC Tar Heels.

Bringing home more than six million dollars this season, Izzo has ensured that the Spartans go down in history as one of the powerhouses this century.

However, the top-seeded Tar Heels dominated the Spartans in the Round of 32 and walked away with the 85-69 win over MSU and Izzo.

Alongside Pearl, John Calipari was sent packing after just one game this March. The Kentucky Wildcats were the loser behind the Oakland Grizzlies’ hopeful Cinderella run.

Calipari has notoriously struggled in postseason play since the Wildcats’ run to the Final Four in 2015.

With a first-round elimination, Calipari was not only sent home, but Kentucky fans were also calling for his removal as the Wildcats head coach. He’s one of the most historic coaches of all time but leading one of the Blue Bloods requires more than just an overall winning record.

Making over one million dollars more than Calipari, Bill Self sits in a league of his own – both in regards to winnings and earnings.

The Jayhawks were absolutely annihilated by the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Despite leading by 1 point at half time, Kansas was knocked out after a 89-68 loss to the Zags.

Self and his squad have now been eliminated in the Second round for consecutive years. In 2022, the Jayhawks won the national title over the UNC Tar Heels. Is Self losing... himself?

Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers eked past the Second Round. Barnes and the Vols defeated his former team, the Texas Longhorns, to move on to the Sweet Sixten. Scott Drew and Dan Hurley are still dancing their way toward April with Baylor and UConn.