To be honest, I always assumed that Deion Sanders would be gone sooner than later.

My black and gold sunglasses still envision a time when Kordell Stewart, Rashaan Salaam, and Chad Brown played for the Buffs. When the Buffaloes were often ranked in the top 20, sent tons of talent to the NFL, and even won a National Championship.

But like the transfer portal and NIL deals – Times have changed.

The Colorado Buffaloes have a record of 52-104 since 2006, no thanks to some questionable coaching hires that include Dan Hawkins (2006-2010), Jon Embree (2011-2012), Mike MacIntyre (2013-2018), “Midnight” Mel Tucker (2019), and Karl Dorrell (2022).

Enter Coach Prime.

Deion Sanders came to Colorado with bravado, confidence, a coaching record of 27-6 at Jackson State, a talented quarterback son, and Travis Hunter, the highest recruited player in football.

Sanders was a two-time Super Bowl champion, eight-time Pro Bowler, two-sport athlete, first ballot Hall of Famer, who played 14 seasons in the NFL, and parts of 11 seasons playing major league baseball.

After two seasons with the Colorado Buffaloes, it is obvious that the cameras love him, the media loves him, the celebrities love him, and man, can he work that transfer portal.

But after going 4-8 in his first season, and 2-1 this year, the question is whether he can coach, whether he can win, and with his quarterback son moving on to the NFL next year, whether he will stay.

Sanders signed a 5yr/$29.5 million deal with the Buffaloes, not including bonuses or incentives, which specifically calls for a renegotiation period after the end of next season.

Does Coach Prime hangout for another full season with the Buffs after this one, or like “Midnight”Mel, will Prime Time take his show on the road sooner than later.

20 reasons why Coach Prime is Primed to leave after the end of the season.

Credit via Wikipedia

1) Shedeur Sanders is going to the NFL – Maybe Coach Prime recruits a 4-star quarterback to take Shedeur’s place, and maybe that recruit doesn’t decommit before signing day, but the fear of replacing Shedeur with some 5’10 kid from Boulder High School could have Coach Prime packing his bags.

2) Travis Hunter is going to the NFL – Technically, Hunter has another year of eligibility, but he’s projected to be a top ten NFL pick. It’s hard to stick around when you lose your best offensive player and defensive player all at the same time.

3) Leverage – As ESPN’s Paul Finebaum mentioned a few weeks ago talking about the Colorado Buffaloes situation. “Colorado needs Coach Prime more than Coach Prime needs Colorado”. And that was before the Buffs beat CSU.

4) Publicity – Coach Prime could get College Game Day, ESPN, and rapper 2 Chainz to come to freakin’ South Dakota if the Jackrabbits were willing to pay him enough.

5) Money – Apparently, The Coach Prime conglomerate is estimated to bring in as much as $220 million dollars to the University of Colorado when you add all of the media revenue that comes along with the sunglasses, cap, and hoodie. So, at Deion’s rate of $6 million-a-year, let’s start the bidding at $7 million. Thank you, Kansas State. Do we hear $8 million? That’s a yes from the gentleman from Oklahoma State. Can I see $9 million….?

6) Unless Deion Sanders has a few more sons and they play offensive line, it could be time to move elsewhere.

7) Deion Sanders took over a one-win team, went 4-8 in his first season, and hopes to win five or six this season. Leaving a program with the narrative that they got better every year is a nice place to be when selling your story to another team. The risk of the Buffs going 3-9 the following year and destroying your brand is a real possibility.

8) If Deion Sanders leaves the Buffaloes – they can never fire him. Think about it.

9) Florida State, Coach Prime’s alma mater, is currently 0-3. Not saying that Sanders is ready for that step but imagine Transfer Portal Gone Wild in Tallahassee.

10) Taxes – Florida is one of nine states (along with Alaska, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming) that don’t have an earned income tax. The Coach Prime Corporation wouldn’t be the first company to move their location to save a few bucks.

11) Deion Sanders may just walk away and do podcasts, television, and radio. After all, if Pat McAfee can make it as a former NFL punter, think what a Hall of Fame cornerback can do.

12) Let’s be real. No one likes a good transfer more than Deion.

13) Coach Prime may do like most when his son is finally off the family budget. Pack his bags and move to Florida. Florida State, Florida International, South Florida, Central Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast…

14) The newly put together Pac-12 could sure use Deion. Could you imagine Deion at San Diego State, getting transfers to hit the beach with NIL deals, playing CSU and Fresno for the next few years, all from his beach home in Del Mar.

15) Deion Sanders brought eleven players with him from Jackson State when he joined the Buffs. So, he won’t be walking away from Colorado’s top players and highly rated recruits if he leaves – he’ll be taking them with him!

Credit via Wikipedia

16) I’m not actually sure that CU even wants him back. Dan Hawkins coached the Buffs, had his son play quarterback, and beat CSU for a lot less money.

17) Couldn’t you see a school like Liberty or one from the Bible Belt paying Coach Prime millions to preach the football gospel, with He Gets Us plastered all over the field.

18) “Midnight” Mel Tucker left for $10 million-a-year. Tucker had no commercials, no celebrities on the sidelines, no calls from College Game Day, no Thursday Night Football ratings, and no contract with Under Armour.

Credit via Television of Yore

19) Coach Prime may want to start over before it’s too late. It was fun when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Master P were showing up on the sidelines. But lately, the only celebrity I’ve seen was Kim Fields, the girl that played Tootie in The Facts of Life.

20) Life without a quarterback isn’t as easy as it looks. Ask Sean Payton.

Images via anthlonsports, televisionofyore, nfl.com, wikipedia

Alan Tapley The Athletic Supporter

Alan Tapley is an educator, author, and blogger who has lived just outside of Boulder for the last twenty years.  His published work includes two novels, two children’s books, a series of cartoons in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and multiple sports related articles. His love for family and the state of Colorado is only matched by one thing, his passion for sports.  The first baseball game he ever attended was at Wrigley Field, before there were lights.  At the final Bronco game at the old Mile High, he allegedly cut out a piece of his seat in the South stands.  But regardless of being here for the Avalanche’s last Stanley Cup, the Rockies only World Series appearance, and all the Broncos’ Super Bowl Victories, his wife never fails to remind him that he wasn’t at the University of Colorado in 1990, like she was.  The year the Buffs football team won the National Championship