Deion Sanders’ deal with Colorado has been approved.
On Thursday, the University of Colorado Board of Regents approved the five-year, $29.5 million contract for Sanders to become the 28th full-time head football coach in program history.
The board voted 8-1 in favor of the contract, with Jack Kroll providing the only dissenting vote.
Sanders was introduced as the Buffaloes’ head coach on Dec. 4 and concluded his first national signing day on Wednesday by landing 24 new recruits.
Sanders will be the highest-paid coach in CU history and is set to make $5.5 million in base and supplemental salary in the first year of his deal. He will receive annual raises of $200,000, topping out at $6.3 million for the final year of the contract.
Kroll, whose term as regent ends next month, has been consistent in recent years with his votes against football contracts.
He voted for Mike MacIntyre’s contract extension in June of 2017, but has voted against the last three head football coach contracts brought to the board: Mel Tucker (2018), Karl Dorrell (2020) and Sanders. He has also voted “no” on assistant coach contracts three times, but voted “yes” for assistant contracts twice earlier this year when they were part of larger consent agendas including multiple items up for vote.
Buffs add two more
After signing 24 players, including 10 transfers, on Wednesday, the Buffs added two more transfers on Thursday.
Marshawn Kneeland, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive lineman from Western Michigan, has signed a financial aid agreement with the Buffaloes.
Kneeland has two year of eligibility remaining. He played 10 games this season, recording 38 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, along with five QB hurries and three pass breakups. During his four seasons at WMU, he played in 29 games, posting 93 tackles, 20.5 TFLs and 8.5 sacks.
On Thursday night, former Jackson State safety Cam’ron Silmon-Craig announced he will be transferring to CU. He played the past two years for Sanders at JSU and also played for Sanders at Trinity Christian (Texas) High School.
Silmon-Craig has two years of eligibility remaining. He was a two-year starter at strong safety at JSU, recording 113 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, five interceptions and five pass breakups.
The Buffs have 26 players in the class. Sanders did not conduct a signing day press conference, but had some comments on the class on a YouTube video posted by Well Off Media, which is run by Deion Sanders Jr.
“We’re doing it. And, guess what? We ain’t done yet,” coach Sanders said. “I’m coming. We are coming. This is the first day of his-story.
“We had a great day of recruiting, great signing day. Already offered some 2024s – good ones, too. We’re trying to change the game right now. Not later, right now.”
