Armand Jackson

Deion Sanders has just three years of collegiate football coaching experience, having gone 27-5 at Jackson State. The Tigers (12-0) concluded an unbeaten regular season by defeating Southern 43-24 in the SWAC championship game on Saturday.

Colorado revealed Saturday night that Sanders will be the next coach, making him one of the more intriguing hires in college football this generation.

Wilton Jackson of Sports Illustrated reported that Sanders held a Jackson State group meeting after the Tigers’ SWAC title game victory on Saturday to inform his squad that the coach was departing before Colorado officially announced his departure.

Sanders is a Hall of Famer within both the Pro Football and College Football Halls of Fame. From 1989 to 2001, he was a member of seven Major League Baseball teams and competed in the NFL for 14 seasons, winning two Super Bowls. 

Sanders provides reputation, charm, and extensive relationships in Texas. He is recognized as “Coach Prime,” and that outsize reputation will be required since Colorado is a school with no true identity that is severely trailing in fundraising for its athletes. 

Sanders led in high school for seven years before coming to Jackson State in order to establish a recruitment pipeline.

Sanders addressed his squad in a post-game meeting that his choice was not motivated by money, “it’s not about a bag” but rather by the opportunity to mentor African American coaches.

Sanders’ hiring follows a recent trend in college basketball, with renowned former players such as Penny Hardaway (Memphis), Jerry Stackhouse (Vanderbilt), and Juwan Howard (Michigan) gaining high-profile jobs.

According to ESPN, Sanders will still coach Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl versus North Carolina Central on December 17.