NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
The University of Colorado gave an unusual discretionary bonus of $250,000 to football coach Deion Sanders late last year for the national recognition the university received during Sanders’ first year on the job, according to records obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
The bonus hasn’t been made public until now and was unusual for at least a couple of reasons:
∎ It wasn’t part of any specific stipulation or milestone reached in his employment contract. This made it a gift of sorts for Sanders, who otherwise was paid $5.5 million in his first season at Colorado.
∎ The bonus came shortly after the Buffaloes finished the season on a six-game losing streak and finished 4-8 overall.
“Sanders to earn an Employee Recognition Bonus for the national recognition he has brought to the University and Athletics Department this season,” states the pay form signed by CU officials in early December.
Not many major college football coaches, if any, get huge bonuses that aren’t spelled out in their contracts or after they lose eight of their final nine games of the season. But the university could make the case that Sanders, 56, deserved it.
Why Deion Sanders received this bonus
The employee recognition bonus he received in this case was due to the national publicity he brought to the university as the flamboyant former two-sport star in pro football and baseball.
“The employee recognition bonus is a discretionary bonus awarded by Athletic Director Rick George for the immense impact Coach Prime has made on the football program, the Athletic Department, and the university in his first season,” the university said in a statement this week to USA TODAY Sports.
For example, the university gained about $343 million in “earned media” value during Sanders’ first season on the job from July 31 to Nov. 27, according to data…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/deion-sanders-got-unusual-publicity-110424050.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-19 11:04:24
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
