Under Sonny Dykes, TCU football has gone from battling out 5-6 win seasons to making the national championship in just his first year. On top of that, recruiting has been phenomenal, the transfer portal mechanism is well in place, and the program is dominating the Big 12. A high-profile contract extension for Dykes was probably long overdue, and it finally comes today.
According to reports, Dykes has agreed to a new contract that also includes a multi-year extension. Previously Dykes’ contract was running through 2028, and his salary this year was expected to be more than $7 million. However, with the new contract announcement, Dykes may yet become one of the highest-paid coaches in the country.
What is Sonny Dykes’ new salary in 2026?
Dykes has compiled a 36-17 record with TCU, and the 2025 season was pivotal for his job security. But Dykes finally showed dominance last year and finished with a 9-win season. The Horned Frogs even defeated USC in the Alamo Bowl in overtime and also defeated teams like Baylor and West Virginia. The contract extension now shows the renewed faith TCU hierarchy has in Dykes, and the payout will be in that spirit, too.
Sources: TCU and coach Sonny Dykes have agreed to a new contract, which includes a multi-year extension. Dykes had been under contract through 2028 and his last listed salary is more than $7 million. TCU won more games (36) than any Big 12 program since 2022. pic.twitter.com/8DcO1Z9FRI
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 3, 2026
Currently, Texas A&M’s Mike Elko is on an $11 million-per-year deal and is the seventh-highest-paid head coach in the country. Even the Missouri Tigers’ Eli Drinkwitz earns $10.75 million annually. But since TCU doesn’t have the financial muscle of SEC teams, and Dykes has no interest in other programs or NFL teams, his new payout should be around $8.5 to $9 million annually this year. Earning even that much will still make him one of the top-15 highest-paid head coaches in the country.
