College Football

Highest-Paid College Football Coaches: Deion Sanders Enters Top 10 With New Contract

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Dan Girolamo
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Dan Girolamo Sports Editor

Dan is a multifaceted content creator who specializes in sports, pop culture, and entertainment. His entertainment work has been featured on Digital Trends, where he has interviewed Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Alison Brie, Adam DeVine, Sadie Sink, Chris O'Dowd, Machine Gun Kelly, and Frank Grillo. Dan's entertainment work has also been featured on Coming Soon, Hidden Remote, and WatchMojo. Dan's other passion in life revolves around sports, graduating from Marist College with a degree in Sports Communication and Journalism. From columns about the latest in New York sports to gambling predictions, Dan continues to find success in written and broadcast journalism. Previous written work can be found at Unafraid Show, while broadcast clips can be seen on WAVE.tv and CBS Sports.

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Published28 Mar 2025

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Deion Sanders wears a hoodie at Colorado.

Coach Prime is getting a raise. Colorado’s Deion Sanders has agreed to terms on a contract extension, making him one of the highest-paid college football coaches.

Deion Sanders Signs Lucrative Extension With Colorado

The University of Colorado announced Friday that it extended Coach Prime’s contract through 2029.

Per Brian Howell, Sanders has signed a five-year, $54 million contract extension that runs through the next five seasons.

Sanders’ base salary for each season:

  • 2025 – $10 million
  • 2026 – $10 million
  • 2027 – $11 million
  • 2028 – $11 million
  • 2029 – $12 million

Sanders’ average annual value during the extension is $10.8 million, one of the highest in the sport.

“Coach Prime has revolutionized college football and in doing so, has restored CU football to our rightful place as a national power,” said Colorado Athletic Director George. “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.”

Sanders has single-handedly turned Colorado into a national story.

After three seasons at Jackson State, Sanders became Colorado’s next head football coach in December 2022.

However, the Buffaloes broke out in 2024 with a 9-4 record and a berth in the Alamo Bowl.

However, the Buffaloes turned it around in 2024 with a 9-4 record and a berth in the Alamo Bowl.

Highest-Paid College Football Coaches For 2025-2026 Season

Kirby Smart Georgia $13.3 million
Ryan Day Ohio State $12.5 million
Dabo Swinney Clemson $11.1 million
Dan Lanning Oregon $11.0 million
Steve Sarkisian Texas $10.6 million
Kalen DeBoer Alabama $10.3 million
Lincoln Riley USC $10 million
Deion Sanders Colorado $10 million
Bill Belichick North Carolina $10 million

With his contract extension, Sanders becomes one of several coaches to cross the $10 million salary mark for 2025.

Georgia’s Kirby Smart remains the highest-paid coach in college football at $13.3 million. In May 2024, Smart signed a 10-year contract extension worth $130 million.

Ohio State’s Ryan Day ($12.5 million) is the only other college football coach in America to make over $12 million. Day signed a new contract weeks after winning the National Championship.

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney ($11.1 million), Oregon’s Dan Lanning ($11 million), and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian ($10.6 million) round out the top five.