Colorado keeps Deion Sanders with contract extension, huge raise

Deion Sanders will remain the head coach at Colorado through the 2029 season under terms of a contract extension announced Friday.

He will earn a base salary of $10 million in 2025, making him the highest-paid football coach in the Big 12 and among the top 10 highest-paid head football coaches in the country, the university announced.

ESPN reported that his total compensation over five years will be $54 million, with his pay rising to $11 million annually in 2027 and $12 million in 2029.

Last season, he earned $5.7 million, according to the USA Today coaches' salary database. Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State earned $7.75 million to top the Big 12, per the database.

Sanders took over a team that was 1-11 in 2022 and saw an improvement to 4-8 in his first season. In 2024, the Buffaloes were 9-4 and earned an invitation to the Alamo Bowl.

In a news release, the school called Sanders' two seasons as head coach as "transformational" and credited his leadership for turning the Colorado football team into one of the "most-watched teams in sports," citing 54 million viewers in 2024 as evidence.

"Coach Prime has revolutionized college football and in doing so, has restored CU football to our rightful place as a national power," athletic director Rick George said. "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."

Campus leaders also said Sanders' presence and visibility has influenced the academic side of Colorado, which has seen a 20 percent increase in applications, including an increase of 50.5 percent from students who classify themselves as Black/African American. He also speaks in classes and special campus events.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to continue building something special here at Colorado," said Sanders, 57. "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.

"Lastly, anybody got at least a five-bedroom home with acreage for sale?"

Sanders played 14 seasons as a defensive back in the National Football League, won two Super Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro six times. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Concurrently, he played nine Major League Baseball seasons, retiring with a career average of .263 with 186 stolen bases and 43 triples in 641 games.

Immediately before accepting the Colorado job, Sanders spent three seasons as the head coach at Jackson State, finishing with a 27-6 record.

--Field Level Media