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Why Deion Sanders Should Move on From Coaching at Colorado originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Taking on the task of being a head coach of any sport isn’t easy. Whether some coaches are willing to admit it or not, pulling double duty takes a toll. The world has watched Deion Sanders enter the coaching ranks in college football and go on a tear. The Hall-of-Famer has recruited players that some coaches had uttered under their breath, "There's no way he's going to be able to get that player to commit to that program," and somehow it happens.
Travis Hunter flipped from Florida State to Jackson State, which set off a cataclysmic tone with coaches from all over the country who claimed there was some underhanded deal. Because how would Coach Prime be able to relate with today’s athletes, right? This was more than NIL money being waved in Hunter’s face. He understood the assignment and ended his college career as the first-ever two-way Heisman winner.
Before Sanders rode off into the sunset from Jackson State for greener pastures at Colorado, he was able to provide HBCU athletes with an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents in front of 22 NFL teams. All while watching one of his own Jackson State players, James Houston IV, get drafted by the Detroit Lions with the 217th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, many others went undrafted.
Keeping the “Main thing the main thing” has been a common theme for Sanders. Being able to recruit at a high level, carry on constant promotion of his programs and other ventures, and dealing with the health issues he has endured is starting to show. With so much expected from the boosters and donors at Colorado, he has lived up to the hype with tremendous resilience. It’s one of the reasons why CU received a $2.5 million signing bonus from the Big 12 during realignment.
They understood the value of having Sanders as the face of the conference. Coach Prime’s objective is and will continue to be building the Buffs program into a winner. But the duties of being a head coach and a father have been daunting. It will wear down anyone who chooses to take on the task.
Even though Sanders has been away from the Buffs program, the next wave of athletes are choosing to play for him to finish what they started, which is to win the Big 12 and get into the College Football Playoff. But there’s an alternative route with better results.
With the changes in NIL guidelines going into effect in days, Colorado athletic director Rick George and CU’s Board of Regents need to strongly consider if it’s time for Coach Prime to step away from coaching. His heart may be in it, but his health needs to be the biggest priority at this point.
Sanders should transfer into the role of CU Football’s president of football operations and let him thrive as the head of a newly-created front office. All of the top programs are adopting the NFL model when it comes to handling NIL and day-to-day operations.
Why not have Coach Prime at the top? It's where he belongs at this point in his career. Sanders has plenty of talented assistant coaches under him who could take over coaching duties tomorrow, if needed. Let them cook and keep Coach Prime as a decision-making leader who is more beneficial in the business world. This is a no-brainer for Colorado and would prepare him as a potential candidate to take over for George, who previously said he intends to retire from his AD post after his contract expires next year.
“We hope that Coach Prime finishes his career here,” George said at a news conference last year. “We think he can do significant things for us long-term with longevity. For us, and I think Coach would sit here and tell you we’re on the same page with where we want this program to go.”
Sanders recently signed a five-year, $54 million extension with Colorado. He became the highest-paid coach in the Big 12 conference in the process. But there's bigger potential with Sanders having longevity beyond coaching. This would be similar to the role Barry Alvarez's had at Wisconsin, except with an athletic mastermind in all regards.
The sidelines will look different for Sanders without his sons (Shilo and Shedeur), Hunter, along with Jimmy Horn and many others working towards their NFL dreams. Coach Prime being able to take the time to himself to prepare for the next chapter should keep the Buffs fans excited. It should also translate into more wins and more players getting the opportunity to fulfill their dreams of playing at the next level through Sanders’ preparation, knowledge, and marketing efforts.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...
Taking on the task of being a head coach of any sport isn’t easy. Whether some coaches are willing to admit it or not, pulling double duty takes a toll. The world has watched Deion Sanders enter the coaching ranks in college football and go on a tear. The Hall-of-Famer has recruited players that some coaches had uttered under their breath, "There's no way he's going to be able to get that player to commit to that program," and somehow it happens.
Travis Hunter flipped from Florida State to Jackson State, which set off a cataclysmic tone with coaches from all over the country who claimed there was some underhanded deal. Because how would Coach Prime be able to relate with today’s athletes, right? This was more than NIL money being waved in Hunter’s face. He understood the assignment and ended his college career as the first-ever two-way Heisman winner.
Before Sanders rode off into the sunset from Jackson State for greener pastures at Colorado, he was able to provide HBCU athletes with an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents in front of 22 NFL teams. All while watching one of his own Jackson State players, James Houston IV, get drafted by the Detroit Lions with the 217th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, many others went undrafted.
Keeping the “Main thing the main thing” has been a common theme for Sanders. Being able to recruit at a high level, carry on constant promotion of his programs and other ventures, and dealing with the health issues he has endured is starting to show. With so much expected from the boosters and donors at Colorado, he has lived up to the hype with tremendous resilience. It’s one of the reasons why CU received a $2.5 million signing bonus from the Big 12 during realignment.
They understood the value of having Sanders as the face of the conference. Coach Prime’s objective is and will continue to be building the Buffs program into a winner. But the duties of being a head coach and a father have been daunting. It will wear down anyone who chooses to take on the task.
Even though Sanders has been away from the Buffs program, the next wave of athletes are choosing to play for him to finish what they started, which is to win the Big 12 and get into the College Football Playoff. But there’s an alternative route with better results.
With the changes in NIL guidelines going into effect in days, Colorado athletic director Rick George and CU’s Board of Regents need to strongly consider if it’s time for Coach Prime to step away from coaching. His heart may be in it, but his health needs to be the biggest priority at this point.
Sanders should transfer into the role of CU Football’s president of football operations and let him thrive as the head of a newly-created front office. All of the top programs are adopting the NFL model when it comes to handling NIL and day-to-day operations.
Why not have Coach Prime at the top? It's where he belongs at this point in his career. Sanders has plenty of talented assistant coaches under him who could take over coaching duties tomorrow, if needed. Let them cook and keep Coach Prime as a decision-making leader who is more beneficial in the business world. This is a no-brainer for Colorado and would prepare him as a potential candidate to take over for George, who previously said he intends to retire from his AD post after his contract expires next year.
“We hope that Coach Prime finishes his career here,” George said at a news conference last year. “We think he can do significant things for us long-term with longevity. For us, and I think Coach would sit here and tell you we’re on the same page with where we want this program to go.”
Sanders recently signed a five-year, $54 million extension with Colorado. He became the highest-paid coach in the Big 12 conference in the process. But there's bigger potential with Sanders having longevity beyond coaching. This would be similar to the role Barry Alvarez's had at Wisconsin, except with an athletic mastermind in all regards.
The sidelines will look different for Sanders without his sons (Shilo and Shedeur), Hunter, along with Jimmy Horn and many others working towards their NFL dreams. Coach Prime being able to take the time to himself to prepare for the next chapter should keep the Buffs fans excited. It should also translate into more wins and more players getting the opportunity to fulfill their dreams of playing at the next level through Sanders’ preparation, knowledge, and marketing efforts.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...
