BREAKING: Deion Sanders is the next head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes.

Dec 4, 2022 - 3:29 AM

Colorado has named Deion Sanders as the school’s next head football coach. This is signed, sealed and delivered, folks. The Buffaloes are about to enter a new era for the program in 2023.

Coach Prime comes to Boulder from Jackson State University, where he posted a 26-5 record over three years, including a perfect 11-0 season in 2022. He’ll become CU football’s 28th full-time head coach. Sanders will be introduced on Sunday at 1:30.

“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 AD Rick George said. “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.”

After weeks of speculation, Sanders lands at CU with USF, Cincinnati, and others reportedly in the running for his services. He replaces Karl Dorrell, who was fired following his third stint at CU and first time as head coach.

The Buffs finished a lousy 1-11 season last week with a 63-21 loss to 14th-ranked Utah. Mike Sanford was promoted to interim head coach and went 1-6 after Dorrell’s exit.

The hire of Sanders is huge for the future of the Buffaloes and the Pac-12 conference. With USC’s Lincoln Riley and UCLA’s Chip Kelly leaving with their respective teams to the Big Ten in 2024, Deion will bring attention to the Buffs and a conference that sorely need it.

Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, is a multi-talented coach and entertainer with the right personality to bring CU into the new age of NIL competition. He also brings a defensive-minded approach to the game of football which gives the Buffs an advantage in the quarterback friendly Pac-12 conference.

Colorado hasn’t has a full winning season since 2016 under Mike MacIntyre. Dorrell posted a 4-2 record in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, but have gone 5-19 since. Both 2016 and 2020 ended in the same fashion with losses in the Alamo Bowl. A 38-8 defeat against Oklahoma State six years ago, along with and a 55-23 loss to Texas two years ago.

Welcome to Boulder, Coach Sanders!