Trumping Nick Saban & Jim Harbaugh, Deion Sanders Grabs the Top Spot on the Most Popular CFB Coach Survey

Deion Sanders hasn’t been as successful with his team this season as he would’ve wanted to. Despite not being as successful a coach as Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh, Deion Sanders still takes the spot as the most popular College Football coach according to a fan survey.

The Buffs HC trumped Saban and Harbaugh, who have been coaching for decades, while Sanders only took up college coaching duties in 2020. It’s been less than a year since he took the position of HC at Colorado.

 

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Deion Sanders’ Buffs are currently leading among the three teams with the most losses. Colorado Buffaloes are currently 4-6 in the season, whereas Saban’s Alabama has only had one loss so far and Harbaugh’s Michigan remains undefeated. However, the changes Sanders has brought to the Colorado program have thrown him in the spotlight and perhaps are the reason for his popularity among fans.

The former cornerback took the college football sphere by storm after his induction as HC for the Buffaloes. The school sold a record number of season tickets, selling nearly 22,500, selling out in April for the first time in 27 years, among other symptoms of the Prime Effect in Boulder.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Nick Saban stands as the highest-paid coach in the CFB. Saban is currently on a contract that was inked in August 2022 that will run through the 2029 season, sitting at $11.407 million for the Crimson Tide in 2023. Saban has been with Alabama since 2007. solidifying his position as the preeminent coach in college football, leading the Crimson Tide to victory in the national championship on six occasions.

In 2022, Harbaugh had initially agreed to a five-year, $36.7 million deal, intended to secure his tenure at Michigan until 2026, making him the 12th highest-paid coach in the CFB. However, Harbaugh’s continuation at Michigan has become uncertain following sign-stealing allegations against him. The university withdrew a new contract offer, which, if accepted, would have elevated him to the position of the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten, per Wall Street Journal.

First game of coaches at their current school:

– Nick Saban, 9/1/07, 52-6 win vs FCS Western Carolina

– Dabo Sweeney, 10/18/08, 17-21 L to Georgia Tech

– Jim Harbaugh, 9/03/15, 17-24 L to Utah

Deion Sanders debut can only be rivaled by Ryan Day 3-0 2018 FBS run, I said it pic.twitter.com/BKw0ahKzct

— Zeke’s Spoon (@SpoonOfZeke) September 5, 2023

Deion Sanders’ contract with the Buffs is worth $29.5 million over five years, carrying an average annual value of $5.9 million. He will reportedly earn $5.5 million in Year 1, with $200,000 increases kicking in each season, putting him last among the three coaches. However, he is just getting started.