Colorado approves big pay for Deion Sanders’ new assistant coach

AI-assisted summary
• The University of Colorado approved a $1.5 million annual salary for new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.
• Marion’s salary is nearly double that of the previous offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur.
• Colorado is increasing its investment in football to remain competitive, which includes a $10 million annual contract for head coach Deion Sanders.

The University of Colorado’s Board of Regents has approved a big pay raise for one of Deion Sanders’ top assistant football coaches even as the university’s athletic department projects a $27 million deficit for the current fiscal year ending in June 2026.

The contract for new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion calls for him to be paid $1.5 million per year through Jan. 31, 2028, according to the contract obtained by USA TODAY Sports. The regents unanimously approved it on Dec. 12.

Marion, 38, previously was the head coach at Sacramento State and was hired by Deion Sanders last week. Marion will make nearly double what Colorado’s previous offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur, made this year — $850,000.

Shurmur was stripped of play-calling duties after a 53-7 loss at Utah Oct. 25. His contract expires Jan. 31, 2026 and was not renewed, unlike the contract of Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, whose pay was nearly doubled in February from $800,000 in 2024 to $1.5 million. This year, Livingston will make $1.7 million, including a $100,000 retention bonus due Sept. 1, 2026. Both Livingston and Marion will be the highest-paid assistant coaches in Colorado history.

Colorado is upping its investment under Deion Sanders

It comes at a time of financial uncertainty for the university, which projects a $27 million deficit in athletics for fiscal year 2026, which ends on June 30, 2026.

But Colorado is upping its investment in football to stay relevant in college sports and keep up with the market. By paying their coordinators $1.5 million or more, the Buffaloes are still not paying the most in the Big 12 Conference. Utah in recent years paid its coordinators $2 million or more.

Colorado gave Sanders a new $10 million annual contract in March, up from $5.7 million in 2024. The university also has committed to pay a massive new expense this year that affects major universities nationwide — $20.5 million for athletes under the House-NCAA legal settlement.

The Buffaloes finished 3-9 during Sanders’ third season in 2025. By hiring Marion, they are hoping his unconventional Go-Go offense sparks a rebound for the team and leads to more sellout crowds at Folsom Field.

After selling out all six homes games in Sanders’ first season in 2023, the Buffs sold out three of seven home games in 2025. They still averaged more than 50,000 fans per game, up from 42,847 before Sanders arrived in 2022, when the team finished 1-11.

For Marion personally, his new contract marks the latest step for a coach who went homeless for a while at DeAnza College in Cupertino, California. He also is joining the staff of his childhood idol, Deion Sanders.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com