Buffs hire Deion Sanders as next head football coach

BOULDER–It’s a prime time to be a Buffs fan.

Colorado has hired NFL Hall-of-Famer and former Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders to be the next man to lead the Buffs’ football program.

The deal comes just a few weeks after the Buffs finished their 2022 season on a six game losing streak, ending the year with a 1-11 record. The Buffs were outscored by 349 points on the season.

Former CU head coach Karl Dorrell was fired five games into the 2022 season, and was replaced by interim Mike Sanford for the remainder of the year.

Sanders, known nationally as “Coach Prime”, has had tons of success in his short coaching career to this point, leading Jackson State to a 27-5 record in his three seasons there, including back to back Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championships. Sanders informed his team of his intentions to head to Boulder shortly after the Tigers’ 43-24 win over Southern in the SWAC title game, capping off a perfect 12-0 campaign.

“There were a number of highly qualified and impressive candidates interested in becoming the next head football coach at Colorado, but none of them had the pedigree, the knowledge and the ability to connect with student-athletes like Deion Sanders,” said athletic director Rick George in a statement. “Not only will Coach Prime energize our fanbase, I’m confident that he will lead our program back to national prominence while leading a team of high quality and character.”

On the field, Sanders had a decorated career, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NFL history. He was a two-time Super Bowl Champion, a Defensive Player of the Year, and a multiple time All-Pro during his 14-year career.

Sanders also had a nine-year career in Major League Baseball as an outfielder, and remains the only athlete to ever play in both the Super Bowl and the World Series.

Nevertheless, Sanders has a challenging rebuild ahead of him in Boulder. The Buffs have just a 24-42 record since “The Rise” in 2016, and have lost tons of talent to the transfer portal in the last two years. 

This move comes on the heels of the Buffs’ most recent notable transfer. True freshman quarterback Owen McCown, who had shown promising signs in his four appearances this season, announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Thursday.

There is speculation that Sanders’ son, current Jackson State quarterback Shadeur Sanders, will follow his dad to Boulder to play quarterback. In his two seasons as the Tigers’ starter under center, the younger Shadeur accumulated over 6,400 total yards and accounted for 70 touchdowns.

Coach Prime has shown a unique ability to acquire talent, even at a Division I FCS school in Jackson State. Just last year, Sanders was able to flip cornerback Travis Hunter, the No. 1 overall recruit out of high school in 2022, to Jackson State over programs like Clemson, Florida State, Auburn, and Alabama in an unprecedented move.

While the cupboard seems bare on the Buffs’ roster at the moment, Sanders should be able to recruit talent from both the high school ranks and the transfer portal in order to build a competitive roster.