Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers contract, salary, buyout

The full details of new Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers’ contract have been released.

Rogers originally agreed to terms and signed a memorandum of understanding in December, shortly after being hired as head coach. The official contract was made available in March and obtained through an open-records request. The contract was signed and dated by Rogers on Feb. 20 and it went into effect on Dec. 8, 2025, the same day as Rogers’ introductory press conference.

It is a six-year deal and the contract runs through Jan. 31, 2032.

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers’ salary

Rogers’ base compensation is $3 million per year.

His predecessor, Matt Campbell, made $5 million from his base salary plus additional compensation after his latest contract extension. He left Ames for Penn State in December.

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers’ buyout

Rogers’ buyout to leave for another Division I coaching job is dependent on the years remaining on his contract. In the event that Rogers takes another coaching role, Iowa State is entitled to a buyout that is equal to the total of the base compensation remaining on his contract at that point.

There is also a clause that the buyout may be reduced each season by $500,000 for every game won beyond six victories.

This is a unique buyout situation. Instead of a flat fee, it is dependent on the years remaining on Rogers’ contract but also past success leading to that point.

For example, after two seasons, Rogers’ buyout would be $12 million, since there are four contract years remaining and he has a base salary of $3 million per year.

However, if over those first two seasons, Rogers had an 8-win season and a 10-win season, that buyout would be dropped by a total of $3 million. There is a $1 million decrease for the 8-win season, and a $2 million decrease for the 10-win campaign. As a result, the $12 million buyout would become $9 million.

Keeping with the hypothetical scenario, if Rogers stayed a third year and won seven games, his buyout would drop even further. There would be a $9 million buyout, before applying deductions based on performance, since there are three contract years remaining. The buyout would be further reduced by $3.5 million, due to the $500,000 deduction for the seven-win season in his third year, on top of the $3 million deduction for the 8-win and 10-win seasons in his first two years.

In this situation, Rogers would have a final buyout of $5.5 million.

Other contract bonuses, incentives for Jimmy Rogers at Iowa State

The head coach is also entitled to the following bonuses if the conditions are met, starting with the 2026 season.

Rogers will receive the highest amount based on the team’s regular-season results:

• $1,500,000: If the Cyclones win 12 regular-season games
• $1,250,000: If the Cyclones win 11 regular-season games
• $1,000,000: If the Cyclones win 10 regular-season games
• $750,000: If the Cyclones win nine regular-season games
• $500,000: If the Cyclones win eight regular-season games
• $250,000: If the Cyclones win seven regular-season games

Rogers will receive the highest applicable amount based on how the Cyclones fare in conference play:

• $500,000: If the Cyclones finish in first place (including a tie for first) in the Big 12 Conference regular-season standings and win the Big 12 Conference championship game
• $250,000: If the Cyclones appear in and win the Big 12 Conference championship game, despite not finishing in first place (including ties) in the Big 12 Conference regular-season standings
• $250,000: If the Cyclones finish in first place (including ties) of the Big 12 Conference regular-season standings, but lose the Big 12 Conference championship game
• $100,000: If the Cyclones appear in the Big 12 Conference championship game

Postseason, bowl game and College Football Playoff bonuses:

• $1,000,000: Additional bonus if the Cyclones win the national title
• $750,000: Additional bonus if the Cyclones win in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff
• $500,000: Additional bonus if the Cyclones win in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff
• $250,000: Additional bonus if the Cyclones receive a first-round bye or wins a first-round game in the College Football Playoff
• $100,000: Additional bonus if the Cyclones are selected to play in the College Football Playoff
• $50,000: Additional bonus if the Cyclones win a bowl game that is not part of the College Football Playoff
• $50,000: Additional bonus if the Cyclones are selected and participate in a bowl game outside of the College Football Playoff

Individual award bonuses:

• $100,000: If Rogers is awarded one or more of the following national coach of the year awards: Associated Press, AFCA, Bobby Dodd, Paul “Bear” Bryant or Walter Camp.
• $50,000: If Rogers wins the Big 12 Coach of the Year (also includes sharing of the honor)

Jimmy Rogers’ coaching career, resume

Rogers went 33-9 overall as a head coach for the last three years. He was 27-3 at South Dakota State, and he went 6-6 in his lone season at Washington State.

A former linebacker at South Dakota State from 2005-09, Rogers started with graduate assistant stints at his alma mater and one year at Florida Atlantic.

In 2013, he returned to South Dakota State to be the linebackers coach and spent more than a decade working up the ranks. He was the defensive coordinator in 2022, before getting promoted to head coach of the Jackrabbits the following year.

He won a FCS national championship in his first year as South Dakota State’s head coach in 2023. The Jackrabbits made the FCS semifinals the following year.

Rogers made the jump for the FBS level and got his first coaching gig at Washington State. He went 6-6 with the Cougars and led a roster rebuild that featured 75 newcomers.

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers contract, salary, buyout