'I can coach this': Deion Sanders not concerned about hot seat rumors ahead of 2026 season
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'I can coach this': Deion Sanders not concerned about hot seat rumors ahead of 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Deion Sanders has always enjoyed the good and bad commentary from the press over the years. But he decided to calm the storm of some of the latest rumbling about the Colorado Buffaloes football team.
The concerns about the size of the team and now assistant coach Jason Phillips retiring abruptly has fans and sports analysts wondering if Colorado is ready to compete. This seems to be a yearly trend with coaches leaving the Buffs. However, Phillips leaving weeks before the season has put pressure on Coach Prime. However, he's not feeling it.
“I don’t feel pressure,” Sanders said. “You know how pressure is? That’s a single mama trying to make ends meet and ain’t no man in the house. And she's gotta be the mother, the father, the provider, the disciplinarian and everything."
He went on to address it from a football angle.
“I’m really good at this,” Sanders said. “I can play this. I can coach this. I can do this, and, you know, if you don’t believe, you don’t believe. God bless you. I need that. I like that. You put me in my comfort zone now. I’d rather be booed than clapped."
Will this team be competing in the Big 12 this season?
The Buffs saw a few high profile coaches depart for other opportunities, such as defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, who left for the Denver Broncos. Defensive line coach Domata Peko went to the Pittsburgh Steelers and pass rush coordinator Warren Sapp, who chose to walk away from coaching completely.
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The Buffs lost three key playmakers that were part of their receiving core during the offseason: Dre'lon Miller, Terrell Timmons Jr, and leading receiver Omarion Miller, who entered the transfer portal after their 3-9 season last year. Is it possible the players foreseen what many have predicted the Buffs' outcome for this season? To make matters worse, San Jose transfer Danny Scudero was injured during practice. Sanders says he'll be back before the season opener against Georgia Tech.
Rashad Davis takes over for Phillips and was the inside receivers coach. He's been with Coach Prime since his time at Jackson State. The Buffs fans will find out in less than 30 days how prepared the wide receivers are when they face off against the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta.
Whether Sanders wants to admit it or not, the heat is on. If Colorado starts the season with a losing record starting Big 12 conference play, the rumblings are going to get louder about job security. He's one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation at nearly $11 million per year. New CU athletic director, Fernando Lovo, will be forced to look at Coach Prime for his record. Anything short of a nine-win season in 2026 put Sanders below .500 for his tenure in Boulder.
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