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Cowboys great Deion Sanders making his mark, and his point, in Colorado

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The Coach Prime experiment in Boulder, Colorado has been nothing short of entertaining. Deion Sanders, the former Cowboys’ defensive star, was named the University of Colorado’s new head coach last year. He rolled into the Buffaloes’ football program and immediately laid down the law.

He told his new players that a lot of them weren’t going to be around by the time the team kicks off the 2023 season. In fact, he encouraged many of them to go right ahead and dive right into that transfer portal. They heard him loud and clear.

Exodus Doing Coach Prime’s Job For Him

So far, over 40 players have departed. There was a mass exodus after the Buffaloes’ recent Spring Practice game. Somehow, I doubt Coach Prime is shedding any tears.

Cowboys great Deion Sanders making his mark, and his point, in Colorado
BOULDER, CO – APRIL 22: University of Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the Black and Gold game at Folsom Field April 22, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Colorado’s football program has been dismal ever since they moved from the Big 12 and into the Pac-12 in 2011. They’ve recorded only two winning seasons since then — 2016 (10-4) and 2020 (4-2). The program’s last victory in a bowl game came in 2004.

Enter Sanders with his 27-6 (.818) record over three seasons as head coach at Jackson State. The Tigers won back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference championships in his last two years there.

Coach Prime is bringing an impressive resume to Boulder. He’s also bringing his type of players, and attracting others via the portal as well.

In short, he’s rebuilding this team, his way. And they will play the game the way he wants them to. After a 1-11 season last year, they have a low bar to clear to post a better season in Sanders’ first year.

Beyond Colorado For Coach Prime

The question is: Is Colorado the ultimate destination for Sanders? His coaching trajectory reminds of another head coach who led two successful programs at the college level before moving up to the NFL. A coach that Cowboys’ fans are familiar with: Jimmy Johnson.

Jimmy Johnson's Football Legacy Secured With Hall of Fame Induction

Johnson led Oklahoma State for five years, departing the program after a bowl game victory for Miami. After five years and a National Championship with the Hurricanes, Johnson landed in the NFL and built a dynasty in Dallas.

Sanders’ coaching style is somewhat similar to Johnson’s. Coach Prime has made it clear that rules will not be broken without immediate consequences. A viral video shows Sanders walking into the gym and booting a player out of the room for having the wrong color socks on.

Too harsh? Not if you’re changing a culture and instilling discipline in a program sorely lacking both. He booted his own son for being late to a meeting.

Think back to all the times Johnson lowered the boom on his players in Dallas. Be careless with the ball, even in a meaningless game? You’re no longer on the team.

Johnson got his message across. Sanders is doing the same in Boulder. The Buffaloes will only be better for it.

Sanders PrimeD For Return To Dallas?

Is this the trajectory Sanders is currently on? Perhaps. Especially if he turns Colorado’s program around and it becomes a winning program on a regular basis. He would have proven himself at two different levels of college football.

Cowboys Blog - Cowboys CTK: 21 Goes Primetime with Deion Sanders 4

Surely that would attract the attention of many NFL franchises. Depending on the timing and circumstances, it might even attract the notice of a certain owner who moved heaven and earth to bring him to play in Texas Stadium in 1995.

Coach Prime prowling the sidelines in Dallas? That alone would be worth the price of admission.

Richard Paolinelli

Staff Writer

Richard Paolinelli is a sports journalist and author. In addition to his work at InsideTheStar.com, he has a Substack -- Dispatches From A SciFi Scribe – where he discusses numerous topics, including sports in general. He started his newspaper career in 1991 with the Gallup (NM) Independent before going to the Modesto (CA) Bee, Gustine (CA) Press-Standard, and Turlock (CA) Journal -- where he won the 2001 Best Sports Story, in the annual California Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspapers Contest. He then moved to the Merced (CA) Sun-Star, Tracy (CA) Press, Patch and finished his career in 2011 with the San Francisco (CA) Examiner. He has written two Non-Fiction sports books, 11 novels, and has over 30 published short stories.

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