After losing one offensive coordinator, Deion Sanders has made a statement by hiring former Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion. Now, while this is a prime time for staff poaching, as part of Colorado’s retention plan, Marion will be the highest-paid offensive coordinator in CU football history.

“Colorado board of regents unanimously approve the contract for new OC Brennan Marion,” reported Colorado beat writer Brian Howell on Friday. “It’s a 2-year, $3 million deal ($1.5 million per year).”

While the deal runs through January 31, 2028, Marion will earn a $400,000 base salary each year with a hefty $1.1 million in supplemental pay tied to community outreach. Now the contract makes him the second-highest-paid assistant coach in program history, with only defensive coordinator Robert Livingston ranking higher. Last year, Livingston signed a two-year, $3.2 million deal and is set to make $1.7 million next season.

While these two are the first assistants in CU history to reach the $1 million-per-year mark, what does this massive contract say?

With Marion’s lucrative deal, Colorado has shown that the Buffs are spending to win in the Big 12 next season. Now, pairing his contract with the $54 million extension for Deion and more than $3 million invested in coordinator salaries, the blueprint is clear. However, hiring Marion fills a real need for the program, which has already struggled on offense this season.

Colorado finished second to last in the Big 12 with 118.3 rushing YPG. Here, the reset button has been hit, and Marion arrives with a strong resume. He’s the architect of the Go-Go offense, and he led Sac State to a 7–5 record as head coach. Before that, he called plays at UNLV from 2023 to 2024. Besides, he stopped at Howard as offensive coordinator while WRs coach at Pitt, Texas, and Hawaii.

“We brought in a man that has shown he’s creative, innovative, knowledgeable, smart, and understands today’s players,” said the Colorado head coach during the announcement of Marion.

At 38, he steps in for Pat Shurmur, who earned $850,000 last year. Now, while Colorado paid big to the new OC, they made sure walking away wouldn’t be easy.

If Marion is fired without cause before the deal expires, Deion Sanders’ CU would owe him 85% of the remaining money. And if Marion chooses to leave, the math flips. An exit after year one triggers a 40% salary penalty, while year two drops that figure to 12.5%.

Aside from this calculation, what’s most important is that Colorado made such a significant investment after losing their top recruiter to a Group of Five conference program.

Deion Sanders loses major behind-the-scenes players

Colorado is losing a key behind-the-scenes piece, as Corey Phillips is heading home. Memphis has hired one of Coach Prime’s top recruiting lieutenants as its new general manager, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

As the transfer portal window approaches quickly, this Prime-era pillar exits. Phillips joined Sanders in December 2022 and helped reshape Colorado’s recruiting footprint for the past three seasons. Perhaps that’s why Phillips left with gratitude.

“Coach Prime, thank you for this unbelievable opportunity… You showed me that anything can be done if you just believe,” wrote Phillips.

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Under his watch, the Buffs landed two No. 1 recruiting classes in the Big 12, and he played a direct role in securing five-star talents like Jordan Seaton and Julian Lewis. However, his impact wasn’t limited to high school stars.

Phillips helped Deion Sanders’ CU become an early power player in the transfer portal, landing contributors who later developed into NFL prospects. Now, as Phillips departs, Colorado is expected to promote from within, with recruiting director Darrius Darden-Box set to step into the role.

With the aforementioned changes, the pressure is solely on Deion Sanders to prove that these costly changes are worth it. Share your thoughts in the comments below.