Deion Sanders Expected To Garner NFL Head Coach Interest

Deion Sanders has put Colorado at the center of the college football world and is off to a 3-0 start on the season.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic polled 10 high-ranking NFL decision-makers about whether Sanders will garner interest from NFL teams this offseason as a head-coaching candidate.

“I’d definitely want to bring him in to hear what he has to say,” an executive tells Howe. “He’s a smart guy and a good coach who has had a lot of early success. You’d want to pick his brain to see if it could translate. He knows how to motivate his players. He’s crushed the transfer portal, and maybe that would carry over into team building through free agency.”

According to Howe, several of the executives he spoke to characterized Sanders as a CEO-type of head coach who can oversee the operation and hires highly regarded assistants to handle specific responsibilities. 

Sanders has brought an infectious energy to his teams and it’s clear his players have responded to it.

“I love the energy he creates, and his players respond to it,” a general manager tells Howe. “I would think you have to at least sit down and talk with him. He’s a leader, smart, a great marketer and has the (credibility) as a player and now adding to it as a coach.”

There is, however, the question of whether Sanders would be interested leaving the college game for the NFL. Things are going great for him at the current level and he should be able to recruit with the top teams in the country. 

“I think he gets (NFL head-coaching interview) offers this year,” an evaluator said of Sanders. “But I believe he is better in college where he can tilt the scales and dominate the talent pool with his ability to recruit. I think he would be successful in NFL, too, but could really create a long-term powerhouse in college.”

Howe spoke with a general manager who agreed that college could be the better long-term fit. 

“I just think Deion can dominate for an extended time in college,” the GM said. “He’ll have to deal with parity in the NFL. He might not have the same impact (in the NFL that) he has in college because he will be limited in how many guys he can bring in and attract because of the cap and draft.”

Sanders, 56, played 16 seasons in the NFL for the Falcons, 49ers, Cowboys, Washington, and Ravens.

Sanders took his first coaching job in 2012 for the Prime Prep Academy, which he co-founded. He eventually landed the head-coaching job at Jackson State where he spent three years.

Colorado hired Sanders as their head coach this past offseason.