Five Most Underpaid Head Coaches In The NFL

There is a huge gap between the lowest-paid head coaches and those who boast the highest annual salaries in the NFL. When assessing why there is such a wide gap, there are numerous factors to take into account. One of the biggest factors is the fact that young head coaches, still in the midst of their first contract, are not going to be nearly as well paid as veterans who have had previous success.

Despite this, there are head coaches out there who simply aren't getting paid at the level their previous and current success should indicate. Here is a look at the five-most underpaid head coaches in the NFL.

1. Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers ($5 million)

It has to be surprising to those who don't follow the 49ers closely that Harbaugh has not signed an extension that would make him one of the five highest-paid head coaches in the NFL. With a career regular season winning percentage of .741, Harbaugh ranks third in NFL history behind Guy Chamberlin and John Madden (minimum 40 wins). He's led the 49ers to three consecutive NFC Championship game appearances and was one pass away from winning Super Bowl XLVII in February of 2013.

With all that said, there is a certain backdrop to Harbaugh's tenure in San Francisco. Reports have surfaced throughout the football world this season that he's not exactly the easiest guy to work with. Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer even went as far to say that Harbaugh will not return to the 49ers next season, even if they win the Super Bowl this upcoming February. Other reports have suggested that a number of players on the 49ers roster want him fired.

Take all that for what it's worth. Harbaugh is a dynamic head coach and an intimidating presence on the sideline. Any thoughts of him continuing to coach at $5 million per season are ridiculous. Whether in San Francisco or somewhere else, Harbaugh will receive a substantial raise at some point in the not-so-distant future. And despite these reports, the odds are likely it will be with the 49ers.

2. Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts ($4.5 million)

There are some who will credit Andrew Luck for the impressive turnaround that this Colts team saw following a two-win 2011 campaign. And while he deserves a lot of credit, the culture that Pagano brought with him from the Baltimore Ravens cannot be overstated. Relying a great deal on young players to step into important roles, the Colts won 11 games in Pagano's first season. During that season, the long-time NFL assistant coach missed 12 games due to a cancer diagnosis. Once he returned, Indianapolis showed that it was more than ready to take the next step towards championship contention. Indianapolis won 11 games last season and earned the AFC South title. And now, eight weeks into the 2014 campaign, the Colts are 5-3 and have won five of their last six games.

Assistant coaches being promoted to a head coaching role don't necessarily see the big bucks. This doesn't mean that Indianapolis should avoid having a dialogue with Pagano about an extenstion that would make him among the top-10 highest-paid coaches in the league. Right now, he's behind the likes of first-year head coaches Bill O'Brien (Houston Texans) and Jay Gruden (Washington Redskins).

3. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals ($4.5 million)

Now the second-longest tenured head coach in the NFL behind Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, Lewis has surely seen his ups and downs with the Bengals. After coordinating one of the best defensive groups in league history with the Baltimore Ravens from 1996-2001, Lewis took over a struggling Bengals franchise that had not earned a playoff spot in the 12 years prior to his arrival in Cincinnati. All Lewis has done since is lead this franchise to five trips to the postseason, which matched the team's total in the 29 years before Lewis took its head coaching job.

While Cincinnati has missed the playoffs more times than not during Lewis' tenure, he's proven to be an important cog in what the franchise has built. He's also considered a great defensive football mind with an understanding that he can pass off the offense to other great minds. This has created a situation in Cincinnat where all units work together to get the most out of the talent that the team possesses. And as the 18th highest-paid head coach in the NFL, Lewis deserves a huge raise at some point soon.

4. Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers ($4 million)

Yet another coordinator without any prior head coaching experience getting a top job in the NFL, McCoy has proven that he will be around in Southern California for a while. Taking over for Norv Turner, who wore out his welcome in San Diego, McCoy led the Chargers to a playoff appearance and postseason win in his first year with the team last season. And despite two consecutive losses, the Chargers sit at 5-3 through eight weeks.

McCoy will have to show he can have consistent success over the course of the next couple seasons, but he's on the fast track for a pretty big raise in the not-so-distant future. The difference in culture and success throughout the entire Chargers' organization since he took over for Turner in 2013 has been amazing to watch.

5. John Fox, Denver Broncos ($5 million)

When the Carolina Panthers fired Fox following the 2010 season, it wasn't too much of a surprise. He had led that franchise to three playoff appearances in nine seasons as its head coach. But following a 2-14 season, the Panthers decided to go in another direction. This wasn't an indication that Fox failed as a head coach in the NFL. Rather, it was just time for both sides to move on.

Some will give Peyton Manning most of the credit for Denver's success since Fox took over as its head coach, but that's too easy. Remember, Fox won a playoff game with Tim Tebow under center the year before Manning signed with the team. That in and of itself is a major feat. Now 40-15 in three-plus seasons with the Broncos, this defensive-minded head coach is among the most successful in the NFL. He recently signed a two-year extension with Denver, which is an indication that no further raise will be coming any time soon.

Here is a list of what each NFL head coach made per win last season (does not include the eight first-year head coaches this year).