And CU gave Deion Sanders a prime deal when it hired him last December: a five-year contract with a base salary of $500,000 per year, as well as significant salary supplements and other performance incentives that could increase the total to nearly $30 million over those five years. Will that deal pay off for the school?
In their comments on the Westword Facebook post of our "Prime Numbers" cover story, readers do the math. Says Jered:
Peanuts compared to what's being made off him and the students.Responds Sam:
I love Deion, but this is a whole different issue. The highest-paid employee in every state is either a football or basketball coach. When coaches are paid more than professors, it speaks volumes about how dedicated our institutions of higher learning are to education, and how dedicated they are to filling their own pockets.Counters Kyle:
Call me when someone wants to pack a stadium to see a professor grade papers or lecture.Responds Mary :
Too bad that these contracts can’t tie a percentage of the $$$ to be applied to more traditional academics. Maybe even fund post BA/BS degrees, with strings attached re: completion, for former players — especially 2nd string, bench, practice squad members.Comments Matt:
CU is making money off of Coach Prime. Not a chance the Big 12 would have taken CU if the football program were hot garbage again. You want to complain about American education, you should start with the failures of K-12 before you complain about CU getting the deal of a lifetime with a coach who's going to pay for himself multiple times over.Concludes Scott:
Wouldn't it logical to "recruit" more $$$$ for the actual students in the way of SCHOLARSHIPS? We need to invest in education in America. The stupidity has reached an embarrassing level.What do you think about the University of Colorado's deal with Coach Prime? Will you be watching the game today? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected].
