Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp is starting a new entry-level coaching job at Colorado under head coach Deion Sanders, earning only $150,000 annually. Despite making more than $58 million during his NFL career, Sapp is beginning at the ground floor in college coaching due to his lack of prior coaching experience. In contrast, Sanders, as the head coach, is set to make $5.7 million this year. Sapp’s pay is considered high for a graduate assistant coach, following the NCAA’s recent rule change lifting the cap on their earnings.
Before the rule change, the NCAA limited compensation for graduate assistant coaches to the value of a full grant-in-aid for a full-time student, along with four complimentary tickets to athletic events. Sapp’s job title at Colorado is listed as “Football Quality Control Senior Analyst” due to the university’s lack of an internal job code to reflect the new rule change. Despite this confusion, Sapp is enrolled in graduate-level coursework at the school and is not allowed off-campus contact with recruits as per NCAA rules for his position.
Sapp’s hiring at Colorado raised concerns among domestic violence survivor groups, but the university has emphasized that he passed a background check and agreed to the department’s standards and expectations. As a graduate assistant coach, Sapp is required to be enrolled in coursework and is not permitted to have off-campus contact with recruits. Colorado is currently in the midst of spring football practices, with Sapp joining the staff after visiting as a friend during Sanders’ first season at the university.
Despite his substantial earnings in the NFL, Sapp is taking on a new coaching role at Colorado for the opportunity to work under Sanders, another Pro Football Hall of Famer. With a salary of $150,000 per year, Sapp’s pay is considered generous for a graduate assistant coach in the NCAA under the recent rule change. While Sapp’s job title may cause confusion, his enrollment in graduate-level coursework at the university aligns with the requirements for his position. As Sanders leads the University of Colorado football program through spring practices and games, Sapp’s presence on the coaching staff adds experience and insight from his successful NFL career.
