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Everybody eats.
This has always been the policy for Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. Coach Prime has always made a point of ensuring that both his players and assistant coaches are well taken care of.
So when Sanders moved from Jackson State to Colorado, nothing changed. Sanders’ assistant coaches at Colorado are reportedly set to make school-record salaries in the coming seasons according to Margaret Fleming of Front Office Sports.
@weherecu Deion makes sure everyone eats🙏🏾 (ft. Shilo trolling per ussual) #deionsanders #shilosanders #cubuffs #coachprime
“Colorado football assistant coaches are setting a new record this upcoming season, bringing in the highest combined salaries in school history,” Fleming reports.
Sanders brought in a pair of new coordinators for the 2024 season. NFL veteran Pat Shurmur will call the offense. While defensive coordinator Robert Livingston joins after six seasons coaching safeties with the Cincinnati Bengals.
“New defensive coordinator Robert Livingston will set a school record for the highest single-season salary for an assistant coach in 2025 with $995,000, which will grow from $800,000 in ’24,” Fleming states. “Close behind Livingston is new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who will get $800,000 in ’24 and $850,000 in ’25.”
Both numbers, however, pale in comparison to the nation’s top-paid assistants. LSU signed new defensive coordinator Blake Baker to a three-year deal worth $2.5 million annually in January. While Clemson pays offensive coordinator Garrett Riley just over $2 million per year.
Still, it’s a far cry from where Colorado was only recently.
Sanders signed a five-year, $29.5 million contract just over a year ago.
The only problem?
Buffs athletic director Rick George admitted that the school didn’t actually know where that money would come from. Colorado then reported a budget deficit of nearly $10 million for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
But hiring Sanders paid off in a big way. Although Colorado went just 4-8, the university estimated record revenue.
Sooner or later Sanders will have to show he can actually win games. But for the time being, the hire has worked out in a big way for all parties.