Amid the Dallas Cowboys’ 3-7 record and Mike McCarthy potentially losing his seat next season, the rumor mill is churning that Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders could be next in line for the head coaching gig in Dallas.
And although Coach Prime has made his stance clear that he loves his position in Colorado, analysts are having a field day speculating about the possibility of him making the jump to the NFL. If Sanders were to leave, what impact would it have on him and the Buffaloes?
Analyst Details How Deion Sanders Would Be Viewed if He Left Colorado
On Wednesday’s episode of “The Herd,” NFL analyst Colin Cowherd asked Fox analyst Joel Klatt:
“Deion Sanders leaving Colorado, if he did. Resentment? Thank you? How would he be viewed, do you think?”
Klatt replied:
“Oh no, it would be with love. I mean, this was a dead program, and I played there, and that’s what I’m telling you. … So even if Deion were to leave, he would be viewed with the utmost amount of love. I believe.”
"Even if Deion were to leave, he would be viewed with the utmost amount of love." @joelklatt discusses Deion Sanders and NFL rumors pic.twitter.com/cG49irAeKh
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 20, 2024
Sanders took over the Colorado program in December 2022 and came with the expected promise to revolutionize the team and lead them to a championship title. After a disappointing first season, where the Buffaloes ended the 2023 campaign with a 4-8 record, the team is now sitting second in the Big 12 with an 8-2 record.
Reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff doesn’t seem like a far-fetched dream. So, in many ways, the $45 million-worth coach has proven his value as a teacher as well and become a cornerstone of the program
Sanders’ departure might leave a void that the team might be unable to fill. When he arrived, he completely overhauled the roster, bringing in top recruits and transfer players. Leaving behind a self-curated roster would be a big move, but it doesn’t seem like he’s planning to leave anytime soon.
In last week’s interview on FS1’s “Speak,” Sanders said, “I love it where I am.”
MORE: NFL Analyst Urges Jerry Jones To Hire Deion Sanders as the Cowboys’ Next Head Coach
Klatt also shared: “I asked him point blank last week on Friday, ‘Do you want to go the NFL?’ He said, ‘No,’ and he said, ‘My purpose is to be a coach, but it is more so to mentor young men, and I don’t believe I could do that as my calling and my purpose at the NFL level like I could do that at the college level.’”
Klatt then talked about how Sanders is driven by purpose and how much that drives his decisions.
Coach Prime’s coaching career began in 2012 at the high school level. He then transitioned to college in 2020 with Jackson State. While it may seem like he’s climbing the coaching ladder steadily, it’s anyone’s guess if he leaves for the NFL after the season concludes.
Sanders’ Contract With Buffalo
Sanders signed a five-year deal worth up to $29.5 million in salary alone when he joined the Buffaloes from the Jackson State Tigers. For the 2024 college football season, his salary will be $5.7 million, an increase of $200,000 from his first season.
Like many head coach contracts, Sanders’ total salary is made up of a number of components. He receives a base salary of $500,000 that is topped up by additional compensation for activities such as media appearances, promotion, and fundraising, and an amount allocated for “the development of the student-athlete.”
The latter is particularly pertinent given the footage that emerged in the 2023-2024 offseason, in which Sanders was seen chastising his players for a less-than-stellar attitude toward classroom work ethic. In amongst the pizzazz and never-ending social storm around the Colorado head coach, he bears his responsibility as a leader on his sleeve as well as his shoulders.
The year-by-year breakdown of what the Colorado head coach will earn is below:
- $5.7 million in 2024
- $5.9 million in 2025
- $6.1 million in 2026
- $6.3 million in 2027
Those numbers are set in stone…for now. Sanders has a clause in his contract that triggers a negotiation period following the third year—the end of the 2025 college football season. At that time, the Colorado head coach can negotiate an extension, with the option to change the base and supplemental salary, liquidated damages, and termination conditions.