Colorado hires Deion Sanders to turn around program

By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders is taking over as head coach at Colorado, bringing his charisma and larger-than-life persona to a beleaguered Pac-12 program that’s plunged to the bottom of college football.

The deal was announced Saturday night by athletic director Rick George.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer has been at Jackson State, a historically Black college that plays in the NCAA’s second tier of Division I, since 2020 — guiding the Tigers to consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference titles.

The Tigers beat Southern in the SWAC championship game Saturday in Jackson, Mississippi, and a few hours later Colorado announced he was coming to Boudler.

The Tigers went 27-5 in the Sanders era and he was named SWAC coach of the year the last two seasons.

Known as “Prime Time” during his high-stepping, play-making NFL career, the 55-year-old Sanders prefers “Coach Prime” these days. Colorado will prove a challenge for the magnetic Sanders, who inherits a program coming off a 1-11 season. But he brings instant name recognition and a track record of being able to recruit top-level talent.

The Buffaloes have turned in just one full-length winning season since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. They dismissed Karl Dorrell in October and interim coach Mike Sanford finished out the season that culminated with a 63-21 blowout loss to No. 12 Utah at home.

Colorado is a long way from its glory days under Hall of Fame coach Bill McCartney, who led the Buffaloes to a national championship following the 1990 season.

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AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo, AP Sports Writer Gary B. Graves and AP Freelance Writer Tanner Marlar contributed to this report.

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