Change is Coming… HE’s Coming

I’M COMING. Deion Sanders only needed 2 words to get into the minds of the student athletes at the University of Colorado. By now, most have seen the video of Deion with his players at their first team meeting. Among the headlines was him saying “I’m bringing my own luggage…and its Louis too.”, a statement many found to be appalling and the only thing they wanted to take away from his speech. Did he tell those kids, point blank, that transfers would be coming in to take their job? Absolutely. At the end of the day, a coach’s job is to make his team better; often times this is done with tough decisions like who to keep on the team vs who not to. Colorado went 1-11 this year, obviously something needs to change. First it was the coaching staff, now it’s the players. Deion wasn’t doing this to discourage his guys, or tear them down in anyway. In reality, moments after the headline-grabbing statements were made, he gave them a call to action. He asked them who was going to prove him wrong, who has what it takes to stay and help turn this program around. Competition breeds passion, and passion is the key success. Deion knows this; not only as a player back in the day, but as a coach now. Deion is about to make a BIG statement at Colorado; He’s coming.

Deion Sanders is a coach that all players want to play for. Put aside his place in the NFL HOF, the energy that Deion brings with him every day is electric. When he gives a team speech and ends it with “Now play my music” you always see the whole team room go ballistic. This isn’t an act for the camera, but how his players truly feel about him. In today’s landscape of college football, you can only go so far with X’s and O’s.  Just look across the country at programs that have been dead for seemingly forever, now beginning to find their footing again because of a coach who wears his heart on his sleeve; coaches that are passionate about the game and their players.

Take the University of South Carolina for example. The Gamecocks are not even a top 5 brand in the SEC, let alone the biggest brand in their own state. Year after year, they faced mediocrity, finishing most seasons right around .500 or below. After nearly a decade of recycling old head coaches who continuously proved unable to build a program, the university took a step in a different direction, hiring Shane Beamer from Oklahoma. As a first-time head coach, Beamer brought new life and energy into a locker room which was in desperate need of it; this translated to wins. In his first season, he took the Gamecocks to the Duke Mayo bowl. They won, and he took a victory bath with a Gatorade bucket full of mayonnaise. Beamer makes sure his guys always remember you have to have fun. This year, his team has kept having fun. In doing so, they knocked off 2, Top 10 teams to close out the season and finish with an 8-4 record; their best since 2017.

While it’s a common oversight, football, especially at the college level, is about having fun. When the team is having fun and has good chemistry, that always translates into success on the field. Coach’s charisma and swagger are infectious, always carrying positivity where he goes. He speaks the truth which can hurt sometimes, but with that also comes respect from his players. With that respect, his players buy into his vision; combine a well-executed vision and a fun program together, success will follow.

In regards to recruiting, Deion’s social media presence is something that few coaches have really begun to tap into. He literally tweets “Who wants to Change the game with me?” and he has kids dropping their highlight reels directly to him. At this point, Prime is using his platform to have kids reach out to HIM to play, not the other way around. In doing so, he’s recruiting players he knows are passionate about playing for him and his program. These are the types of players he knows he can succeed with because he knows they are willing to buy into his vision. Obviously, Deion is still doing normal recruiting visits as well as this new method. In terms of face to face recruiting, there might not be anyone better than him; lest we forget he convinced the #1 recruit in the country to play at a Non D1 school in Jackson, MS. By expanding his reach, he’s recruiting players he may have never had the chance to otherwise.

 The final ingredient Coach Prime’s secret sauce is his relatability. Football teams are one big family. Even in the 1 year I played in high school, we would break down a practice by saying “Family Team on 3”. When your coach cares and makes you a priority, it makes you want to play for them. In addition, Deion knows the feelings that all his recruits/ players have; wanting to become somebody and give back to the people who helped them the most. When you can empathize and relate with people, a powerful connection is established that is hard to emulate in any other way.

When it’s all said and done, look for Deion to build a lasting legacy at the University of Colorado. The culture that he brings with him will spread like wild fire and before long, the entire school will be buzzing. You mix his personality and abilities with the NIL potential in Boulder (but mainly Denver), the sky is the limit. 2023 begins the reign of Coach Prime and the return of the Rumblin’ Ralphie.