Deion Sanders, Colorado Dealt Bad News After College Football Season

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When Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder, the Colorado Buffaloes became college football‘s most-talked-about program overnight. As of now, that energy feels like a distant memory after a rough 2025 season.

With Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders both gone to the NFL, the roster lost its two most important pieces, and the results reflected that. Colorado finished 3-9, going just 1-8 in Big 12 play. That is a sharp drop from the 9-4 breakthrough (7-2 Big 12) in 2024 that had critics changing their tune.

To put it in context, Deion Sanders inherited a 1-11 program in 2023. Even his first season, a 4-8 finish, felt like progress given what he was working with. The momentum was real. Now the program is back to searching for answers, and the coaching staff is not immune from the turbulence, either.

Warren Sapp is the latest coach to exit. According to USA Today, the Pro Football Hall of Famer has stepped away from his role on Sanders’ staff in Boulder.

“Warren Sapp has resigned from the CU football coaching staff to pursue other opportunities,” Colorado’s athletic department said in a statement. “CU Athletics thanks Warren for his contributions to our football program over the last two seasons and for his commitment to our student-athletes.”

Sapp joined the Colorado Buffaloes in 2024 without prior full-time coaching experience, coming on as a graduate assistant before moving into a pass rush coordinator role. His departure adds to a stretch of significant staff turnover on the defensive side.

Defensive line coach Domata Peko left for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and defensive coordinator Robert Livingston followed, heading to the Denver Broncos.

Colorado has since moved to fill the gaps internally. Chris Marve, who was already part of the staff, has been elevated to linebackers coach.

Sanders has shown before that he can stabilize a program and build something from scratch. But with the roster thinned out and the coaching staff still taking shape, the Buffaloes have work to do before that 2024 version of this program feels within reach again.

Related: Colorado’s Deion Sanders Makes Decision After Losing Coach

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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