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Colorado Has Coach Prime For Now. How Long Will He Stay?

  • Deion Sanders is in his first season of a five-year, $29.5 million contract.
  • Coach Prime recently said he wouldn’t be interested in a lifetime deal.
Deion Sanders smiles during press conference announcing his appointment as Colorado head coach
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Deion Sanders is five games into his tenure as head football coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, but some are already wondering how long he’ll stay in Boulder.

Sanders’ five-year, $29.5 million contract makes him the 32nd-highest-paid coach in college football. This week, Coach Prime was asked if he would be interested in signing a lifetime contract with Colorado.

“That’s a wonderful gesture. I love it,” Sanders said. “But I’m smart enough to know, and old and wise enough to know, that that can flip on you instantaneously.”

By all indications, Sanders won’t be a one-and-done with the Buffaloes, at the very least. The coach has pushed back on the idea that his son, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, will declare for the 2024 NFL Draft, meaning the two could have another season together in college.

On The Move?

Before joining Colorado, Sanders was the head coach at Jackson State for three seasons, following two different head coaching stints at high schools in Texas. Sanders was also an offensive coordinator for four seasons prior to that.

As an NFL player, Sanders was never with one team for more than five years, ultimately playing for five different franchises. Sanders’ MLB career took him to six different organizations.

No matter how Colorado — currently unranked with a 3-2 record — ends the season, it won’t be surprising to hear reports of other colleges trying to lure Sanders this winter. And if Coach Prime can develop a strong contender in Boulder, interest from deeper-pocketed schools will only grow for 2024 and beyond.

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