Deion Sanders is no stranger to attention for he is a lightning rod for it-deserved, unwarranted and self-generated.
When he was given the head coaching position at Jackson St. in September of 2020, the reactions were swift. Some supported the decision while others called him unqualified. Some felt it was the shot in the arm both Jackson St and HBCU football needed; others felt it was a publicity stunt.
In his first season, which took place in spring 2021 due to Covid, Coach Prime went 4-3. That fall, he led the team to an 11-2 record, an incredible turnaround from the 2019 4-8 season by the Tigers prior to his arrival in Mississippi.
Then he upset college football traditionalists by landing top recruits Travis Hunter and Kevin Coleman, who tore into their decisions to play at an HBCU instead of an FBS program, exposing their ignorance about HBCU football history.
He also ticked off HBCU football fans by pulling out of the Southern Heritage Classic over the lack of financial benefits for the program.
In between, he fought to bring better resources to his program, helped his athletes secure clean water and facilities during the city’s water crisis, brought ESPN College GameDay to campus, set an FCS attendance record of 42,000 for a home game, and helped attract new sponsors for the athletic program due to his personality and success.
Then, in December 2022, after leading the program to a 12-1 record and two consecutive SWAC titles and Celebration Bowl appearances, he agreed to a five-year, $29.5 million contract and became the new head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, which ignited another storm of reactions.
But the aftermath was the same.
Boulder, CO became the media center of the college football universe, and fans, celebrities and the curious all flocked to the city to see what Coach Prime could do.
Merchandise sales skyrocketed an astounding 700% and 47,277 tickets were sold to the Buffaloes’ spring game, an increase of more than 45,000 over the prior season’s paltry 1,950. That single, basically meaningless game netted the school almost $200,000.
The Big 12 took notice and invited Colorado back to the conference and, perhaps most importantly, he became a ratings volcano for Fox Sports and ESPN, giving them some of the biggest ratings in their college football programming history.
And while he ended up 4-8, his success and confidence weren’t diminished.
“We coming,” said Sanders after a loss.
Many laughed at his brash statement, quickly pointing to his losing record.
But Deion and his supporters refused to back down and his team bought in.
Heading into their final two games of the 2024 season, Colorado is 8-2 (7-1 in the Big 12) and ranked 16th in the CFP rankings. If they win their last two games against Kansas and Oklahoma St., and win the Big 12 Championship Game, they will make the CFP.
That’s an incredible turnaround in two seasons, especially considering that the program had gone 4-8 and 1-11 before Deion arrived in Boulder.
But now the media is speculating about his next move, regardless of how the Buffaloes finish the season.
He should go to Dallas, as the Cowboys will trade up for his son, Shedeur.
He’s going to Jacksonville, who will have the number one pick and select Shedeur.
He should return to Florida State and rebuild the once-legendary program.
Sanders can’t even enjoy the success he and his team are having without speculation erupting over what he should do next, as if continuing to mold Colorado into a national powerhouse is not an option.
He has two Heisman Trophy candidates in Shedeur and Hunter, one of whom could the program its first Heisman Trophy winner since the late, great Rashaan Salaam in 1994.
Yet the media’s thirst has forced him to answer questions about his future.
“I’m happy where I am,” said Sanders on Tuesday. “I got a kickstand down. That means I’m rested, I’m good. I’m happy, I’m excited, I’m enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here.”
If Sanders decided to leave, he would owe the school $10 million, which, based on his success, is a sum another team, either pro or college, would gladly work with to hire Sanders.
But instead of speculating, let’s all simply enjoy what Coach Prime has created for the story he’s written in only four short years is much more impressive and significant and deserves to be celebrated.
