Deion Sanders has long been rumored to potentially have interest in coaching at the NFL level, despite he himself saying numerous times that he would likely be staying at the collegiate level. And on Friday, he made that intention crystal clear by making a move to secure his future at the University of Colorado.
In two seasons at Colorado, Sanders has quickly turned the program into a serious entity after being the laughing stock of college football before he came in. After a rocky first year where he only won four games, he went on to win nine games this past season.
On Friday, Colorado athletic director Rick George announced a new five-year, $54 million contract for Sanders that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country, first reported by Colorado Buffaloes beat writer Brian Howell.
BREAKING: Colorado’s board of regents have approved a new 5-yr, $54 million contract for head coach Deion Sanders that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country. Yearly base salary breakdown:
2025: $10M
2026: $10M
2027: $11M
2028: $11M
2029: $12M#cubuffs
— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) March 28, 2025
Colorado clearly sees the kind of value that Sanders brings to the program, as this new contract puts him in a category with some truly elite coaches across college football from a yearly salary perspective. Notably, he now earns less than just Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, Dan Lanning, Steve Sarkisian, Lincoln Riley, and Kalen DeBoer.
Now, Sanders will be locked into being at Colorado until at least the 2029 college football season. So, at least for the time being, rumors of him coaching in the NFL should now be fully put on the back burner.