In his first season back with LSU since Nick Saban’s tenure, Bo Davis ranks just outside the top 40 of assistant coaches in terms of pay.
The Tigers’ defensive line coach made $1.25 million in 2024, putting him at No. 41 nationally. He is the second-highest-paid assistant coach on head coach Brian Kelly’s staff and is No. 16 in the SEC among assistants in the conference.
Davis donned the purple and gold in the early 90s as a player, then stayed in Baton Rouge as a graduate assistant. He served as the assistant strength coach under Saban, then followed him to the Dolphins and Alabama. Davis spent the last three years at Texas before taking the job with his alma mater.
LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker ranks No. 1 overall on the list at $2.5 million. Two Big Ten coaches and one apiece from the SEC and Big 12 round out the top five.
Davis was brought in to rebuild a unit decimated by departures related to the NFL Draft and transfers. While the Tigers’ defense finished the regular season in the middle of the conference in passing and rushing defense, the development piece is there.
In its 2025 recruiting class, the Tigers signed four-star edge Damien Shanklin and three-star defensive linemen Brandon Brown, Zion Williams, Dylan Battle, and Walter Mathis. A group that has the potential to make an immediate impact, according to Kelly, the freshmen will give Davis a solid core to rebuild a unit reminiscent of the past.
Fans speculated about Davis’ return every time the position opened and finally got their wish. In turn, the salary investment reflects Kelly’s commitment to developing a solid front seven on defense known as an SEC leader.
