With a nine-year MLB career and 14 seasons in the NFL, here are five things to know about Deion Sanders, head football coach at Colorado.
Coach Prime is now making prime time coaching money.
The Colorado Buffaloes extended Deion Sanders' contract to 2029, with the school saying his base salary has increased to $10 million this year. That makes him the highest earner in the Big 12.
In total, the extension is worth $54 million over five years, and it comes following a 9-4 season and an Alamo Bowl appearance as Sanders led the turnaround to make Colorado a popular program in the country.
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There were also reports in January of the Dallas Cowboys and Sanders having "mutual interest" in the NFL team's head-coaching vacancy at the time, but Jerry Jones eventually tapped Brian Schottenheimer.
So, with Sanders now staying on a lucrative deal, where does it rank him among the nation's highest paid? Here's what to know:
Who is the highest-paid college football coach?
The highest-paid college football coach is Georgia's Kirby Smart, who makes an average of $13.2 million, per Spotrac. Smart signed a reported 10-year, $130 million deal with the Bulldogs in May 2024.
NCAAF
Who are the highest-paid college football coaches?
With Smart leading the way, here's a look at the top five highest-paid college football coaches based on average annual salary, via Spotrac:
5. Steve Sarkisian, Texas: $10.6 million
4. Deion Sanders, Colorado: $10.8 million
3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson: $11.1 million
2. Ryan Day, Ohio State: $12.5 million
1. Kirby Smart, Georgia: $13.2 million
How much will Bill Belichick make with UNC?
With Belichick joining the Tar Heels in 2025, the 72-year-old signed a five-year deal, per the school's contract release. He is set to make $10 million a season, with an extra $3.5 million available in bonuses. But of the total $10 million per year, only $1 million counts as base salary, while the other $9 million is labeled as monthly "supplemental income."
Who is the highest-paid NFL head coach?
Comparing college football head-coaching salaries to the NFL is not too dissimilar, though at least six coaches make more on average than Georgia's Smart, via Sportico.
The highest on the list is Kansas City Chiefs' Andy Reid, who makes a reported $20 million a year with three titles to his name in the Patrick Mahomes era.
