Who doesn't belong?

Written by Jason Brubaker | 03 August 2009

The University of Florida announced today that Urban Meyer is rich. Well, they didn't say those exact words, but that was essentially the message they sent by signing him to a 6-year, $24 million extension. By signing the extension, Meyer becomes the third-richest coach in college football, behind- you guessed it- Pete Carroll and Charlie Weis??

That's right, Notre Dame's not-so-lovable loser makes more money than Meyer, Nick Saban, Jim Tressel, Bob Stoops, Les Miles and Mack Brown, and just slightly less than Carroll. Let that sink in, and then let's compare resumes to see who doesn't belong in this group.

Pete Carroll: - 8 years, 88-15

All Carroll has done since arriving at USC is turn the Trojans into the premier destination for elite-level recruits, as well as win six BCS bowl games and two national titles (or one and a half, depending on who you ask). He's also coached three Heisman Trophy winners and has produced a ton of NFL players. Carroll's teams have slipped up a couple times in the past two years (Oregon State, Stanford), but overall they are 32-7 against AP Top 25 teams in his tenure, and 14-2 against rivals UCLA and Notre Dame. Provided the school survives the current NCAA investigation (which they will), there's no doubt he's earned every penny.

Urban Meyer: 4 years, 44-9

Meyer is entering his fifth year in Gainesville with two national titles and a great chance at a third. He's got college football's poster boy in QB Tim Tebow, and he's popularized the spread offense in the nation's top conference. The Gators have gone 12-1 against rivals Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Tennessee under Meyer, and also own wins over LSU (twice), Oklahoma, Ohio State and Alabama (twice). They're 3-1 in bowls, and 2-0 in BCS bowls.

Charlie Weis: 4 years, 29-21

Weis was hailed as a genius when he took over in South Bend, arriving on the heels of public-enemy Ty Willingham. Since then, Weis has gone to two BCS bowls, losing to LSU and Ohio State by a combined score of 75-34. The Irish are 3-9 against rivals Michigan, Michigan State and USC. They own losses to the likes of Syracuse, Navy and Air Force. They've continued to pull in top-15 recruiting classes, yet the results have not shown up on the field. To make matters worse, Weis lacks the media-friendliness of Carroll or the polished confidence of Meyer, instead projecting the image of an unhappy grump who lost his spot in the buffet line. Would you want to play for this guy?

But hey- Weis did win the Hawaii Bowl last year. That's got to count for something, right?