Deion Sanders Floated As Potential Candidate For College Football Head Coaching Job
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Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders is in his third season as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, and to say the team has struggled would be an understatement.
Just one season after going 9-4 and seeing his son and quarterback Shedeur Sanders win Big 12 Player of the Year, and two-way star Travis Hunter win the Heisman, the Buffs have struggled to sustain success. This past Saturday’s 42-17 loss to Arizona State marked Colorado’s fourth straight loss, and dropped their record to an abysmal 3-8 on the year.
For Sanders, his record at the helm in Boulder now sits at 16-20. While athletic director Rick George has assured fans that Sanders isn’t on the hot seat, Colorado fans’ frustration has been growing with each uninspired performance by the team. Sanders signed a five-year $54 million extension with Colorado after last season, but Brian Schaible of Sporting News recently suggested that Sanders could decide to take a recently opened job to escape the pressure.
An often-forgotten fact about Sanders’ journey from Jackson State to Boulder is that he seriously considered taking the USF job before the 2023 season. Sanders is a Florida native, played his college ball at Florida State and on countless occasions has said he thinks the Sunshine State has the best recruits.
With USF’s Alex Golesh reportedly taking the Arkansas job, Tampa Bay has an opening that Schaible thinks Sanders could be interested in.
“USF cannot promise unlimited resources, but it can give Sanders the one thing he has never stopped talking about,” Schaible wrote. “Florida. He loves coaching Florida players. He trusts Florida players. He recruits them every chance he gets. Of Colorado’s ten commitments for 2026, three are from Florida. Only one is from the state of Colorado. And the class sits in 98th overall on 247’s rankings. USF, without the noise, without the cameras, is currently 58th.”
While it’s certainly an interesting thought, Sanders recently promised Colorado fans that he is the right man for the job in Boulder and needs patience.
“You’ve got the right man,” Sanders said. “I promise you, you do. And I’m going to prove that to you. Just give me an opportunity and a little more time, and I’m going to prove that to you.”
Although he won’t use it as an excuse, Sanders missed a large chunk of the offseason with his team due to a fight with bladder cancer. His methods have worked before, and it seems Colorado is all in on him despite the team’s struggles.
Colorado closes the season on Saturday against Kansas State (5-6).
Related: Deion Sanders Makes Quarterback Decision Before Kansas State Game
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Nov 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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