Deion Sanders Wouldn’t Have Autonomy Over Gators If He Left Colorado for Florida
If Deion Sanders were to leave the Colorado football program for the Florida Gators, he wouldn’t enjoy the same level of autonomy at UF as he does at CU, according to BuffsBeat’s Josh Tolle. Tolle, citing a credible source, mentioned that Coach Prime’s mentor Willie Taggert had suggested moving from Boulder to Gainesville, but the rumor lacks substance.
“The University of Florida would never allow Coach Prime to run the program the way he wants,” Tolle explained. “Scott Stricklin and the UF Board of Trustees would be making decisions and wouldn’t let Sanders act as the CEO. It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Telling a living legend how to run his program is not a strategy most schools want to embrace. Sanders has a relationship with Rick George that grants him authority over the program without strict oversight. This level of autonomy is rare elsewhere.”
Tolle believes Sanders would more likely step away from coaching than leave Colorado for Florida in 2025 when his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, enter the NFL.
Deion Sanders Plans to Stay with Colorado for the Next 10 Years
Sanders has expressed his intention to remain with Colorado for another decade before retiring from coaching. This makes sense, as his oldest son, Deion Sanders Jr., is heavily involved in the family’s media operations in Boulder.
Sanders likely won’t find a better situation elsewhere in the Power 5 conferences. Colorado was struggling before his arrival, and he’s significantly improved the program. Colorado is now a prominent topic in college football, despite not having a full winning season since 2016, excluding the shortened 2020 pandemic season.
Sanders seems committed to tying his career to Boulder as long as he remains passionate about coaching.
Julian Lewis Pursuit Proves Sanders’ Commitment to Colorado
According to On3’s Josh Newberg, Deion Sanders’ pursuit of Carrolton quarterback and USC commit Julian Lewis signals his long-term commitment to Colorado.
“This pursuit makes a statement on two levels,” Newberg said. “First, it shows Sanders can attract any high school recruit in the country. Landing Travis Hunter was significant, but securing another top 5-star recruit would be even more telling. More importantly, it demonstrates Sanders’ commitment to staying at Colorado.”
Newberg suggests that targeting Lewis indicates Sanders is planning for the future, building a team around top recruits like ‘Ju Ju.’
Deion Sanders’ Repeated Commitment to Colorado
Sanders has frequently stated his intention to stay in Boulder, recently extending his timeline to another five to ten years at Colorado.
“People often ask if I’ll follow my sons to the pros. I say a real father leads his sons, he doesn’t follow them,” Sanders said on the All The Smoke podcast. “I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere. I love Boulder, Colorado, and look forward to seeing my sons succeed in the NFL.”
Despite skepticism, Sanders’ actions, such as pursuing top recruits, support his claims. If he stays true to his word, Coach Prime will remain in college football rather than moving to the NFL.
