Todd Monken salary

ATHENS — Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken is the highest-paid assistant coach in college football with a $2.01 million salary, per the latest USA Today data.

Beyond reporting facts, there’s not much “newsy” about that because Monken’s value is understandably higher than any other assistant in college football at this time.

One could make the case Monken is underpaid, in terms of the unique value he presents with his ability to mold his Pro Style offense around the skills of different quarterbacks.

As one former Georgia quarterback said, “Coach Monken’s offense gives you answers at the line of scrimmage for every defense.”

Monken is the play caller for the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, the defending CFP Champion Bulldogs, and he’s built an offense around a former walk-on who had no other Power 5 offense.

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett has become college football’s ultimate underdog success story, to the extent of being voted one of four Heisman Trophy finalists, along with USC QB Caleb Williams, Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud and TCU QB Max Duggan.

Monken will next be dialing up plays at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 when Georgia plays in the CFP Peach Bowl Semifinal against Ohio State, which features the second-highest paid assistant in the former of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Monken’s two primary Georgia quarterbacks have recorded the highest single-season QB ratings in program history — JT Daniels (178.5, 2020) and Bennett (176.7, 2020).

This season’s team ranks 7th in total offense (491.9), 11th in scoring offense (39.2) and 16th in passing efficiency (156.12).

But most importantly, Monken’s offense has helped win games when called upon, and the third-year UGA offensive coordinator has shared his complete buy-in with the program.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and been around a lot of great coaches and my whole family’s in coaching,” Monken said during the Broyles Award ceremony earlier this week.

“And there’s nobody I trust more than Kirby Smart in terms of we’re going to win, we’re going to work, we’re going to recruit. And that’s over 56 years.”

Here’s a look at the 10 highest-paid assistant coaches in college football, per USA Today:

2022

Todd Monken Georgia 2.01 million

Jim Knowles Ohio State 1.9

Barry Odom, Arkansas 1.85, (hired as UNLV HC Dec. 6)

Matt House, LSU 1.8

Jeff Lebby Oklahoma 1.8

Tosh Lupoi Oregon 1.74

Pete Golding Alabama 1.73

Pete Kwiatkowski Texas 1.7

DJ Durkin Texas A&M 1.5

Jim Leonhard Wiscon 1.5

The 2021 Top 10 highest-paid assistant coaches list

Brent Venables, Clemson $2.5 million, (Current Oklahoma head coach)

Tony Elliott, Clemson $2.13, (Current Virginia head coach)

Mike Elko Texas A&M $2.1, (Current Duke head coach)

Todd Grantham Florida $1.801, (Current defensive analyst, Alabama)

Alex Grinch, Oklahoma DC $1.8, (Current USC defensive coordinator)

Barry Odom, Arkansas $1.75, (Current UNLV head coach)

Pete Kwiatkowski, Texas $1.7

Dan Lanning Georgia $1.7, (Current Oregon head coach)

9. Pete Golding, Alabama $1.63

10. Derek Mason, Auburn DC $1.5, (Current Oklahoma State defensive coordinator)