The University of Colorado is keeping head football coach Deion Sanders around for the long haul. At least, that's the plan. Coach Prime signed a new five-year, $54 million extension on Friday making him one of the highest-paid coach in all of college football (h/t Boulder Daily Camera's David Howell).
Sanders' new deal would see him earn $10.8 million per year, but the contract itself breaks as such: $10 million in 2025, $10 million in 2026, $11 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028, and $12 million in 2029.
The 57-year-old had $18.3 million left on his original five-year, $29.5 million contract he signed in 2022 and was the subject of multiple NFL head coaching searches at the start of the offseason. In fact, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly was in talks with Sanders over his team's vacancy but ultimately that went nowhere fast (except landing Coach Prime this lucrative extension).
Deion Sanders' new Colorado contract won't be enough to keep NFL owners away
Despite this formal reaffirming of his desire to stay in Boulder to coach Colorado football long-term, Sanders' NFL prospects are far from over in the immediate future. The buyout language of his new deal was also released Friday and the amounts per year look to be chump change for any owner desperate for a big-name head coach.
According to that language, Sanders would be owed: $12 million before December 31, 2025; $10 million before December 31, 2026, $6 million before December 31, 2027, $4 million before December 31, 2028, and $3 million before December 31, 2029.
No NFL owner locked in on acquiring Sanders' signature for his services would balk at those numbers, especially since they start decreasing significantly after just a few years.
So, Colorado has its popular (and sometimes controversial) head coach locked up for at least the next few seasons, but don't be surprised if we're right back in the middle of a speculation storm surrounding Sanders' NFL prospects by then.