Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, who made more than $58 million during his 13-year NFL career, will be joining Colorado State under head coach Deion Sanders, according to employment documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports. When he landed an entry-level coaching job in 2015, he earned just $150,000 a year. .
His salary, $12,500 a month plus $15,000 in moving expenses, may seem pretty low. However, he wants to work under fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Sanders, and is starting from scratch as a college coach, partly because he has little experience as a coach.
By contrast, Sanders is scheduled to make $5.7 million this year as head coach.
NCAA rules and Warren Sapp's position
Sapp's salary is still considered high for a graduate assistant coach. It was only last year that the NCAA lifted these caps on coaches' compensation after facing a series of accusations that similar pay limits violated antitrust laws.
Before the rule change, the NCAA limited compensation for graduate assistant coaches.
The old rule stated that “an individual may not receive compensation or compensation that exceeds the value of a full grant for a full-time student based on the individual's residency status and receipt of four free tickets.” I was there. Participate in all intercollegiate athletics events at the university. ”
Recent rule changes are also the reason for the confusion over his role. His appointment letter reads “Senior Football Quality Control Analyst''. The university said he is classified as such internally because the university does not yet have internal job regulations in place to pay graduate assistantships in response to the rule change.
Sapp is enrolled in coursework
Officially, Sapp, 51, is a graduate assistant coach. This means he will need to enroll in the school's graduate-level courses, as the university stated he would be. He also is not allowed off-campus contact with recruits, according to NCAA rules for the position.
The university said in a statement Monday that Sapp passed a background check and met with Colorado State Athletic Director Rick George to “clearly articulate the department's standards and expectations, which he acknowledged and agreed to.” ” he said.
His employment prospects had previously raised concerns among domestic violence survivors' groups.
Colorado State is holding spring football practices, which will conclude with the annual spring game on April 27th. Sanders finished 4-8 in his first season at Colorado last year, when Sapp visited as a friend, increasing his chances of joining the football staff.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenbohr. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
