Fresh off his first season leading the Colorado Buffaloes football program, head coach Deion Sanders received a substantial discretionary bonus late last year, according to public records obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
The report revealed Coach Prime collected $250,000 in appreciation of the “national recognition” he brought to CU last season. Sanders’ guaranteed salary for his first season at Colorado was $5.5 million.
“The employee recognition bonus is a discretionary bonus awarded by Athletic Director Rick George for the immense impact Coach Prime has made on the football program, the Athletic Department, and the university in his first season,” the university said in a statement this week to USA TODAY Sports.
USA TODAY Sports reported that former CU Boulder chancellor Phil DiStefano authorized the bonus pay form on Dec. 1.
Coach Prime’s five-year contract has several other built-in incentive-based bonuses, including $150,000 for winning six games, $200,000 for getting invited to a New Year’s Six bowl game and $750,000 for winning a national championship.
Colorado finished 4-8 in Sanders’ first season at the helm.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.