The numbers continue to grow as CU prepares to enter its second season with Coach Prime. After re-adjusting its coaching staff, the team is ready for another record-breaking year as the 10 full-time assistant coaches are set to bag $4.65 million combined in 2024, which is the highest in school history.
The previous record-high salaries of the coaching staff was only in 2023 when the combined salaries of the assistant coaches amounted to $4.59 million.
Salaries of All 10 Full-Time Assistant Coaches In CU
The biggest changes in the CU coaching staff were made after Deion Sanders hired Pat Shurmur and Robert Livingston as the new coordinators. Shurmur became the new Offensive Coordinator in place of Sean Lewis for a two-year deal worth $1.65 million. While Livingston replaced Charles Kelly as the Defensive Coordinator with a record-breaking deal of $1.795 million.
Pat Shurmur, as per BuffZone, is set to make $800,000 in the first year and $850,000 in 2025. However, the former CU OC Sean Lewis, who took the job as the head coach of San Diego State will make $900,000 in 2024.
Moreover, DC Robert Livingston will fetch $800,000 in 2024 and $995,000 in his second year which is a record high for an assistant coach in CU. Meanwhile, Charles Kelly the former CU DC, who is now a co-Defensive Coordinator at Auburn, is set to bag $875,000 in 2024.
Furthermore, Deion Sanders also hired Jason Philips as his new receivers coach on a two-year deal where he will make $315,000 in 2024 and $340,000 in 2025. Coach Prime is no stranger to Philips who used to be the WR coach at Jackson State in 2021, before his stint in the CFL.
Coach Philips replaced Brett Bartolone, who has now become the Tight End coach at CU replacing Tim Brewster. Bartolone as the new TE coach will be making $400,000 in 2024.
Also Read: Multiple Colorado Players React To Tim Brewster Resigning As Deion Sanders’ TE Coach
Subsequently, Vincent Dancy, the CU analyst turned outside linebacker coach has signed a two-year contract making him $350,000 in the first year and $375,000 in 2025.
Deion Sanders has also joined hands with former Vikings offensive lineman Phil Loadholt, signing him as the new offensive line coach on a one-year contract fetching him $325,000.
Meanwhile, Gary Harrell (assistant head coach and running back coach), Andre Hart (linebackers coach), and Kevin Mathis (cornerbacks coach) will make $425,000 each in 2024 after entering the second and final year of their contracts. And finally, the defensive line coach Sal Sunseri, who has also entered the second year of his contract will earn $385,000 after receiving a $60,000 salary bump.
| Assistant Coach | Position | Salary (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Pat Shurmur | Offensive Coordinator | $800,000 |
| Robert Livingston | Defensive Coordinator | $800,000 |
| Gary Harrell | Assistant HC/Running Backs Coach | $425,000 |
| Jason Philips | Wide Receivers Coach | $315,000 |
| Phil Loadholt | Offensive Line Coach | $325,000 |
| Sal Sunseri | Defensive Line Coach | $385,000 |
| Brett Bartolone | Tight End Coach | $400,000 |
| Andre Hart | Linebackers Coach | $425,000 |
| Kevin Mathis | Cornerbacks Coach | $425,000 |
| Vincent Dancy | Outside Linebacker Coach | $350,000 |
How Much Will Deion Sanders Make In 2024?
Deion Sanders signed a $29.5 million contract with the Buffs in December 2022 which has paid off for the team in multiple ways.
Leading the Buffs to a second season in 2024 Coach Prime is set to make $5.7 million this year. As per Prime’s contract, he is set to receive a $200,000 salary hike each year, which means that his next payout will be $5.9 million in 2025.
Despite a contract, this big Coach Prime is not even in the top 10 earning coaches in college football, yet he is making each dollar count for the Buffs.
According to Sportico, a “confidential” report for the fiscal year 2024 has revealed how Deion Sanders has made a 51 percent impact on the Colorado Buffaloes by giving a massive boost to the school’s revenue through multimedia rights.
The MMR of the CU athletic department which is managed by Learfield generated $5.5 million in the fiscal year 2023. However, in Deion Sanders’ debut year, the revenue jumped up to $8.3 million in fiscal 2024, which implies an increase of $2,800,000.
Measuring the Prime Effect in numbers wouldn’t do justice to the holistic growth that the city of Boulder has seen in the past year all because of the marketing genius of Deion Sanders. But it wouldn’t be surprising to see him do it all over again this year after an upsetting end to the 2023 season.