The Jackson Clarion-Ledger has obtained official documents that put new Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders’ annual salary in the $300,000 range.
“Coach Prime,” as he would like to be known, will net $1.2 million over the course of the contract which runs from Dec. 1 of this year to Dec. 1, 2021, according to the documents.
In addition, the former all-Pro cornerback and Pro Football Hall of Famer has some additional bonuses written into the contract that could push his annual compensation to over $400,000.
These are the bonuses based on incentives written into the contract:
• $25,000 for every win over an FBS opponent
• $10,000 for winning the SWAC Eastern Division
• $30,000 for winning the SWAC championship
• $50,000 for winning the Celebration Bowl
• $5,000 for a team APR greater than 970
On top of those bonuses, Coach Prime can also cash in on ticket sales. Jackson State is already the perennial leader in FCS attendance drawing over 30,000 fans to its home games at Mississippi Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Ms. For any home game that Jackson State sells more than 30,000 tickets, Sanders will be paid 10% of the revenue from those sales. Sanders will also be paid 10% of the season ticket revenue if Jackson State sells more than 10,000 season ticket packages for a season.
If Sanders’ contract is terminated without cause, he will be owed the equivalent of one year’s base salary. If Sanders terminates the contract himself without cause, he will owe Jackson State 50% of the remaining value on his contract.
According to the newspaper, Sanders, Jackson State president Thomas Hudson and athletics director Ashley Robinson all signed the contract on Sept. 18, 2020. Sanders was officially announced as Jackson State’s head coach on Sept. 21.
The $300,000 per year puts Sanders among the top salaries for HBCU head football coaches