University of Colorado extends Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders' contract through 2029, increasing salary to $10M
The University of Colorado has extended football head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders' contract through the 2029 season. He will now be making $10 million, making him the highest-paid football coach in the Big 12 and among the top 10 highest-paid head football coaches in the country, school officials said.
Sanders has been celebrated for turning the team around in a major way, going from 1-11 before he was coach to one that went 9-4 and made it to the Alamo Bowl after two years as head coach. CU Athletic Director Rick George characterized it as a "transformational two years."
"Coach Prime has revolutionized college football and in doing so, has restored CU football to our rightful place as a national power," he said in a statement on Friday. "This extension not only recognizes Coach's incredible accomplishments transforming our program on and off the field, it keeps him in Boulder to compete for conference and national championships in the years to come."
He went on to say that the Buffs, under Sanders, were one of the most-watched teams in sports, yielding over 54 million viewers throughout last season, including 8 million Alamo Bowl viewers, "the highest viewership in the 32-year history of the event."
The school said all but two home games last season sold out and applications to attend the school increased 20% from the previous year, including an 18% increase in applications from out-of-state. Applications from Black students also increased by over 50%, the school said.
School officials also touted the academic performance of student athletes on the team, which they attributed to Sanders' expectations of his players. The team recorded its best term GPA in program history last fall semester with a teamwide average GPA of 3.011. The school said it was the first time in the program's history the team recorded an average GPA of 3.0 or higher.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to continue building something special here at Colorado," Sanders said in a statement. "We've just scratched the surface of what this program can be. It's not just about football; it's about developing young men who are ready to take on the world. I'm committed to bringing greatness to this university, on and off the field. We've got work to do, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here, making history with these incredible players and this passionate fan base."
His extension is paid for exclusively from the school's athletic department budget, which comprises media rights, ticket and merchandise sales, donations, and sponsorships, and no tuition or state funding dollars are being used to fund the extension, the school said.
Sanders took the job at CU in late 2022 after coaching Jackson State University's football team in Mississippi. He coached high school football before that, after retiring from an illustrious career in the NFL, having played for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins (now called the Washington Commanders), and the Baltimore Ravens, spanning 1989 through 2005. He also played outfield in the MLB for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants.
His sons Shilo and Shedeur played for him at Jackson State and Colorado.
"CU Boulder is one of the most innovative campuses in the country, so it's only natural and appropriate that we have the most innovative coach as well," University Chancellor Justin Schwartz said. "Coach Prime has done a masterful job transforming CU Boulder's football program into the must-watch matchup nationwide, week after week, and I'm excited to see what the team will accomplish under his leadership in the next five years."