Deion Sanders named head football coach at Colorado, leaves Jackson State after 3 seasons
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Deion Sanders is leaving Jackson State after three seasons with the program to become the head football coach at Colorado. The Buffaloes confirmed the hire on Twitter.
After days of speculation, Sanders accepted the Colorado job Saturday night after Jackson State won its second consecutive SWAC championship by defeating Southern, 43-24. JSU (12-0 this season) is 27-5 in Sanders’ three-year run as head coach. Sanders said he will still coach Jackson State in its Celebration Bowl appearance Dec. 17 against NC Central.
"Coach Prime" will take over for Karl Dorrell at Colorado. Dorrell was fired Oct. 2 after an 0-5 start to the season and an 8-15 record overall at the school.
AD Rick George has named COACH PRIME @DeionSanders to be the 28th full-time head football coach at CU.
Welcome Coach Prime to Colorado!
📝 https://t.co/otRTjyivpr pic.twitter.com/q63LyoWqSX— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) December 4, 2022
The Pro Football Hall of Famer will owe Jackson State around $300,000 to buy out of his contract, according to a copy of the agreement he signed in 2020 that was obtained by the USA Today Network. The contract, which ran through Dec. 15, 2024, required Sanders to pay half the remaining salary on his deal if he left for another job while Ashley Robinson was still athletics director at JSU.
Sanders said he interviewed for three Power Five coaching jobs last season before returning to Jackson State. In recent weeks, he interviewed for the Colorado and South Florida jobs.
More:As Colorado rumors swirl, Deion Sanders skips SWAC title press conference for 'team meeting'
More:The state of Colorado football misery index: CSU, CU and Broncos battle for 'top' spot
The 55-year-old heads to the Pac-12 after Sanders and his associates spent the past week recruiting on-field staff and transfer portal players to Colorado, ESPN reports. Sanders’ son and sophomore quarterback, Shedeur, is expected to follow his father to Boulder.
The eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback helped turn around a Jackson State program that hadn’t had a winning season since 2013 before his arrival. Sanders pulled in the highest-rated signing class in FCS history in 2021, and this year followed that up by landing Travis Hunter, the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation.
Colorado hasn't had a winning season since 2016.
Deion Sanders to Colorado: Twitter reacts to major college football coaching move after 'Coach Prime' leaves Jackson State
Deion sanders got the arm around the athletic director shoulder lmao he’s leaving Jackson state for Colorado tonight. pic.twitter.com/a7p1UAqo5s
— John (@iam_johnw) December 4, 2022
Deion Sanders (and his players) no-showed the SWAC Championship post-game press conference after media waited over an hour post-game in an overcrowded media room. We were told the team had headed to campus for a team meeting. Pretty easy to read into that...
— Rick Cleveland (@rick_cleveland) December 4, 2022
Official statement from Deion Sanders on his decision to leave JSU for the University of Colorado: pic.twitter.com/MizLuFS7u6
— Jonathan Rizk (@OfficialRizk) December 3, 2022
Shedeur Sanders final stats:
• 70.3 CMP%
• 3,368 passing yards
• 41 TOT TD
• 6 INT
• 11-0 record
The Jackson State QB is expected to follow his father Deion Sanders and transfer to Colorado 👀 pic.twitter.com/wkR61it0fP— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) December 4, 2022
Amazing. Congrats to Prime. An incredible rise. https://t.co/atxH11bpg8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 4, 2022
Mood: https://t.co/vm19j6Y2rQ pic.twitter.com/YmYhLbQ6cX
— Collin Harmon (@CollinHarmonTV) December 4, 2022
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Deion Sanders named head coach at Colorado. 'Coach Prime' leaves JSU
