Deion Sanders hires ex-NFL players to staff reportedly making less than previous ones

Deion Sanders wasn't shy about promoting the years of NFL experience on his staff prior to last season. However, there wasn't much talk of Coach Prime bringing nearly 200 years of NFL experience to the table at Big 12 Football Media Days this week.

Mostly because the most pro-level experienced coaches are now gone. Marshall Faulk, Warren Sapp, Pat Shurmur, Robert Livingston and others exited Boulder in one of the biggest overhauls for Sanders during his tenure. With the changes comes another round of former NFL players turned coaches.

Sanders added three former NFL players to his coaching staff after Sapp and Faulk left. There were also pay cuts in the process, according to USA TODAY Sports reporter Brent Schrotenboer.

Faulk came in as the Colorado Buffaloes running backs coach prior to the 2025 season and made $400,000 last year. That's $250,000 less than what Sapp reportedly made as a senior quality control coach at $150,000. But both Hall of Fame players topped what Sanders' latest ex-NFL hires are earning.

Former NFL safety Pierson Prioleau and former NFL linebacker Xavier Adibi have taken on roles as defensive quality control analysts.

"Prioleau, who won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints for the 2009 season, will earn $100,000 annually, according to his employment offer," according to Schrotenboer. "Adibi's hiring was previously reported but not confirmed with the school until recently. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Houston Texans in 2008 and will earn $85,000, according to his employment offer. Both join a staff that Sanders has been touting since he rebuilt it after last season, when the Buffaloes finished 3-9."

Both Prioleau and Adibi are reuniting with Colorado defensive coordinator Chris Marve, who spent time with him at Virginia Tech’s former defensive coordinator.

The duo join former NFL safety Vonn Bell, who previously joined the Colorado staff. He will be paid $100,000 annually as a quality control analyst, according to the report.

After cutting the $550,000 from Faulk and Sapp coming off the books, Colorado gets three former players for $285,000, respectively. That's a significant savings and the same philosophy Sanders and his staff have used when shopping for players through the transfer portal.

“This is the best coaching staff I’ve had,” Sanders said at Big 12 Conference media days in Texas this week.

Colorado will start the season Sept. 3 at Sanders' old stomping grounds in Atlanta against Georgia Tech.

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