Talking about Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith’s success? Well, he has come off with flying colors in varied roles. His assistant coaching started with Oregon State in 2002. Smith then tried his hand at quarterback coach roles in Idaho, Montana, Boise State, and Washington between 2004 and 2017. Smith’s head coaching breakthrough happened with Oregon State in 2018. He led the program to new heights during his six-year tenure and was then named Michigan State’s 26th head football coach on Nov. 25, 2023.
In this process, Smith has been named the 2022 Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year, who led Oregon State to be one of the top teams in the conference. Under Smith, the Beavers wrapped up the 2023 season with an 8-4 record. Having a glittery resume, fans now want to explore Smith’s financial standings.
What is Jonathan Smith’s net Worth?
The exposure to the coaching world came much later for Smith. He has been a student-athlete, a four-year letterman quarterback at Oregon State from 1998-2001. Hailing from Glendora, California, he stepped into Oregon State as a walk-on under the head coach and OSU’s all-time winningest mentor, Mike Riley. And there has been no turning back for Smith since then.
Credits: Michigan State Instagram
He earned his first start on Oct. 31, 1998, and never relinquished that role for the final 38 games of his career. Till today, Smith is known for leading the Beavers to the 1999 Oahu Bowl and the 2001 Fiesta Bowl. While his college football career had set Smith’s foundational stones, his financial success came with coaching. As per College Football Network, Smith’s net worth is in the $5 million range.
Jonathan Smith’s Contract
Michigan State hired Smith for a reason. After all, he coached eight All-Americans during his OSU tenure (2018-23). In his last two seasons, the list consists of five players- OL Taliese Fuaga, OL Tanner Miller, and DB Kitan Oladapo in 2023; WR/PR Anthony Gould and LB Jack Colletto in 2022. Along with this, Smith has two Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Players of the Year in Jermar Jefferson (2018) and Damien Martinez (2022). That’s what led the Spartans to count on Smith after their traumatic 4-8 season fall under former head coach Mel Tucker.
Last season, he became the 22nd-highest-paid coach in college football. They are paying Smith less as compared to Tucker, who was suspended in his second year of a $95 million contract. Smith has signed a seven-year contract worth $52.85 million.
What is Jonathan Smith’s Salary?
According to USA Today, Smith is taking home $7.25 million per season as part of a seven-year. With this, the Michigan State head coach becomes the seventh-highest-paid coach in the Big Ten and 22nd in the nation. Before him are USC’s Lincoln Riley ($10.04 million), Ohio State’s Ryan Day ($10.02 million), Penn State’s James Franklin ($8.5 million), Oregon’s Dan Lanning ($8.2 million), Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell ($7.73 million) and Washington’s Jedd Fisch ($7.7 million).
Coach Name: Jonathan Smith
Year
Salary
2025
Not disclosed
2024
$7,250,000
2023
$4,850,000
Jonathan Smith’s Career Earnings
Back in 2023, the 46-year-old head coach was offered $52,850,000 in salary between his annual base pay of $6 million and supplemental income that starts at $1.25 million his first year and increases by $100,000 annually. That made up for his first-year salary, worth $7.25 million. This was indeed a financial boost for Smith, who was scheduled to make $4.85 million at Oregon State.
Year
Team
Total Earnings
2016
Washington
$441,534
2017
Washington
$700,008
2018
Oregon State
$1,900,008
2019
Oregon State
$1,900,008
2020
Oregon State
$2,288,000
2021
Oregon State
$2,444,000
2022
Oregon State
$3,750,000
2023
Oregon State
$4,850,000
2024
Michigan State
$7,250,000
Jonathan Smith’s Brand Endorsements
Michigan State saw some of the highest levels of roster turnover of any team. So, indeed, Smith’s program has been highly reliant on the NIL. But the head coach refuses to pin everything on the NIL. As he once shared in an interview with On3, “There’s definitely a difference. It still starts with the evaluation process and beyond. I think that’s a piece of the pie. What we’re looking for is guys who it is a piece of the pie as they’re considering their options, but then there’s the education, the scheme, the staff, the fit, the area, all those are pieces of the pie.”
Turns out that Smith has delved all his focus into building the Spartans. So, not much information is available on Smith seeking his personal interest in the brand engagement landscape.
Jonathan Smith’s Investments and Business Ventures
At this point, Jonathan Smith’s professional narrative is all about football leadership, player development, and cultural integrity. No information is available about his business ties.
Jonathan Smith is now all about making his family proud on and off the gridiron. On the field, it’s the Spartan fam. And off the field, it’s Smith’s wife, Candice Smith, and his three kids: Bella, Robert, and Charles.
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