Deion Sanders entered the college coaching world escorted by a marching band and all the familiar flamboyance that had defined the NFL legend.
After turning HBCU football on its head by challenging the way in which Black colleges were perceived in mainstream circles while also transforming Jackson State into an on-field and multimedia force by landing blue-chip athletes and national attention over three seasons, Sanders agreed to be the next head coach at Colorado.
Sanders led Jackson State to a 12-0 record and a second trip to the Celebration Bowl after a 43-24 win over Southern in the SWAC Championship Game on Saturday. He had gone 27-5 overall over three seasons at JSU.
Sanders told the team of his intention to take the CU job Saturday night in an on-campus meeting.
“I’ve chosen to accept the job elsewhere next year,” he told players. “I’m going to finish what we started. We’re going to dominate to that end and that conclusion. And when that concludes we will move on.”
Jackson State is scheduled to play MEAC champion NC Central in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia on Dec. 17.
Sanders was most recently named SWAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. He is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award given to the top coach in the FCS. Sanders won the award in 2021 and was a finalist this year.
The departure of Sanders marks one of the more intriguing circumstances of the college football carousel, with Colorado luring the country’s top FCS coach who brings a wealth of high-profile connections and recruiting success.
AD Rick George has named COACH PRIME @DeionSanders to be the 28th full-time head football coach at CU.
Welcome Coach Prime to Colorado!
📝 https://t.co/otRTjyivpr pic.twitter.com/q63LyoWqSX
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) December 4, 2022
While Sanders doesn’t have strong roots in the Pac-12, he comes to Colorado being granted full control of a Power Five job that he’s coveted since declaring a desire to coach at the collegiate level.
It was recently reported that Sanders would be offered an annual contract in the $5 million range with incentives that could expand it to as high as $7 million.
“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,” CU athletic director Rick George said 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 high character.”
Sanders had maintained earlier this year that he would entertain overtures from interested FBS schools as Jackson State’s profile soared under his leadership.
Sanders is replacing Karl Dorrell. Dorrell was in his third season with the Buffaloes, producing an 8-15 overall record and a 6-9 mark against Pac-12 opponents. CU went 1-11 overall this season.
Sanders’ attraction to the CU brass, along with his ability to acquire the interest of top-level prep players to a small conference school, were identified as factors in the hire. Sanders quickly turned Jackson State into an FCS power while elevating its brand in the process that led to a Sports Illustrated cover and appearances on SportsCenter, 60 Minutes, Good Morning America and ESPN’s College GameDay.
Under Sanders, the Tigers made HBCU recruiting history by receiving a commitment from Travis Hunter, the nation’s No. 1 high school football player in the country, in 2021.
Jackson State athletic director Ashley Robinson said he will move quickly to replace Sanders, considering both external and internal candidates.
Before his stint at Jackson State, Sanders served as the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian High School in Cedar Hill, Texas, where his son, Shedeur, Jackson State’s starting quarterback, attended. His only other head coaching experience was at Prime Prep Academy, a charter school in Texas.
