Deion Sanders contract extension: Ranking top 5 highest paid CFB coaches after Coach Prime’s $54 Million deal

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes are locked in for the foreseeable future. The Buffaloes have extended their head coach's contract until 2029, giving him a substantial pay raise, ensuring his continued leadership of the program.

Thanks to the renewal, Sanders, also known as Coach Prime, is now one of the top five best-paid head coaches in collegiate football. His pay raise comes after a successful 2024 season that saw his team nearly make the playoffs.

Ranking the top 5 highest-paid CFB coaches ft. Deion Sanders

Because of Coach Prime's new contract, he has broken into the top five list. These are the best-paid head coaches in CFB:

5. Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns - $10.6 million

Steve Sarkisian has been the head coach of the Texas Longhorns since 2021. He's on a $10.8 million per year deal. Sarkisian regularly makes the college football playoffs.

However, the offensive-minded head coach has yet to bring a national championship to Texas. He'll take his chances in 2025, especially with the highly rated Arch Manning as their starting quarterback.

4. Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes - $10.8 million

Deion Sanders led the Colorado Buffaloes to a 9-4 record in the 2024 college football season, earning a significant pay raise for his efforts. The extension provides added momentum as he prepares to lead the team in 2025.

3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers - $11.1 million

Dabo Swinney signed a $11.5 million a year contract extension in 2022, placing him second on the list of highest-paid college football coaches behind Nick Saban. However, he has since dropped to third.

Swinney has seen better days as the Clemson Tigers head coach. But, his reputation means that the Tigers will likely stick with him for the time being.

2. Ryan Day, Ohio State Buckeyes - $12.5 million

After winning his maiden college football championship, Ryan Day got a bumper pay rise. He's now second-highest-paid coach, trailing only Kirby Smart, widely regarded as the best in the game.

Day's resurgence was one of the stories of the 2024 season. He'll now look to go back-to-back with the Buckeyes in 2025 campaign

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1. Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs - $13.2 million

Kirby Smart is a two-time national championship-winning head coach and the most respected active head coach in college football. He's getting top dollar to keep the Georgia Bulldogs at the mountaintop.

Since Smart took over, the Bulldogs have transformed into one of the most dominant forces in the SEC. He's earned every penny of his CFB-leading salary.