Deion Sanders to Colorado: Expectations and challenges

Deion Sanders' coaching vocation has reached the highest level of assemblage shot -- and a astonishing destination successful Colorado.

Sanders, the Pro Football Hall of Famer who transformed Jackson State's programme the past fewer years, was named Colorado's caller manager Saturday night. After interviewing for respective Power 5 jobs successful caller years, Sanders' ascent to the FBS seemed similar lone a substance of time. But alternatively than remaining successful the South, wherever Sanders spent astir of his playing vocation and his full coaching career, he's headed to a wholly caller portion with the ngo of reviving a once-elite Colorado programme that has faded from presumption for overmuch of the past 20 years.

"Not lone volition Coach Prime energize our fanbase, I'm assured that helium volition pb our programme backmost to nationalist prominence," diversion manager Rick George said successful announcing the hire.

Sanders has been viewed arsenic the cleanable manager for the existent assemblage shot climate, successful which the transportation portal and name, representation and likeness are king. He is simply a historical prosecute successful galore ways, including Colorado's 3rd consecutive Black manager -- a archetypal for a Power 5 program. But tin helium boost a programme that is 89-152 since the 2003 season?

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Andrea Adelson and Paolo Uggetti and Jean-Jacques Taylor of Andscape analyze the Sanders prosecute and what it means for Colorado.

Why Colorado

Paolo Uggetti: Since 2011, Colorado has finished successful either past oregon 11th spot successful the Pac-12 10 times, but the programme has plentifulness of intrigue and imaginable owed to its past and location. It is an perfect landing spot for a manager similar Sanders, whose fast-rising estimation arsenic a caput coach, recruiter and -- possibly astir importantly -- look of a programme was going to garner him a Power 5 occupation sooner alternatively than later. Colorado has lagged down its peers successful astir each class and, astatine the precise least, the Buffaloes needed an injection of energy. Sanders volition bring that and more, including a existent recruiting vantage and an quality to institute a civilization that volition basal retired successful the Pac-12. Any occurrence successful Boulder volition beryllium received with unfastened arms, and due to the fact that Colorado has made a location retired of the league cellar implicit the past decade, Sanders has the quality to surpass expectations quicker present than astatine different big-time programs.

Adam Rittenberg: Sanders had interviewed for Power 5 jobs the past fewer years astatine TCU and Arkansas, but yet needed an opportunity. Although helium has ne'er worked successful Colorado, the programme has shown with the close manager and recruiting attack it tin vie nationally. Colorado needs to enlistee Texas, a authorities wherever Sanders lives and should supply contiguous upgrades. His wide sanction designation volition wholly reshape Colorado's brand, which needs a boost arsenic somewhat of a forgotten programme successful the Pac-12. Colorado is 1 of fewer Power 5 programs with a decent past of hiring Black coaches. The schoolhouse has go the archetypal Power 5 programme to ever prosecute 3 consecutive Black coaches. Four of the past 5 Buffaloes coaches are Black.

Andrea Adelson: I deliberation the amended question is wherefore Sanders? There is an casual reply here: Colorado needs its programme jump-started, and gaining a manager with the sanction designation and wide recruiting chops Sanders possesses is perfectly huge. Just look astatine what Sanders did successful flipping the No. 1 enlistee successful the state past year, Travis Hunter, from Florida State to Jackson State connected signing day. We each cognize however acold down Colorado has fallen successful the Pac-12, but bringing successful a manager with the marque Jackson has volition instantly marque Colorado applicable again successful the minds of recruits. Jackson has obscurity to spell but up with Colorado, and successful each honesty, that lessens the unit to triumph close distant that would beryllium astatine a schools in, say, the SEC.

Jean-Jacques Taylor: Sanders needed lone 2 afloat seasons to marque Jackson State the jewel of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Tigers went undefeated successful the league for the 2nd consecutive season, and they are 23-2 successful their past 25 games. Jackson State had lone 1 triumph by a borderline of less than 10 points this season, truthful Colorado is astir accepting a bigger challenge. The Pac-12 is not astir arsenic daunting with USC and UCLA going to the Big Ten, and the bigger fund a Power 5 programme provides volition let Sanders to maximize his strengths, specified arsenic recruiting.

Year 1 expectations?

Uggetti: This is not going to beryllium a one-year overhaul the likes of what Kalen DeBoer and Lincoln Riley conscionable pulled disconnected astatine Washington and USC, respectively. Those coaches took teams coming disconnected 4-8 seasons and led them to double-digit wins. And that's not due to the fact that of Sanders' quality arsenic a caput coach, but alternatively due to the fact that rebuilding this Colorado programme volition instrumentality much than conscionable a mates of changes and additions. An unfastened level program isn't going to lick the issues; the Buffaloes request to interruption retired the bulldozer. Sanders feels similar a prosecute who's going to beryllium much consenting than astir to teardrop it each down. For Year 1, possibly the barroom should commencement here: Don't decorativeness past successful the Pac-12.

Rittenberg: Colorado's roster is successful truly atrocious shape. The squad had an exodus of bully players to the transportation portal past winter, and it's happening again. Sanders apt volition clasp definite players, and helium volition instantly marque Colorado a destination for transfers, including immoderate of his champion players from Jackson State. The squad couldn't get overmuch worse than this season, erstwhile it was outscored 534-185. Sanders volition request much than 1 recruiting rhythm to hole things, but a mean betterment is rather imaginable successful the portal era. Bowl eligibility could beryllium a pugnacious inquire successful Year 1, but Sanders volition wholly alteration the ambiance astir the programme and upgrade the endowment level.

Adelson: If Colorado plays much competitory games and gains the benignant of vulnerability this programme has been lacking for the past 2 decades, the play should beryllium considered a occurrence nary substance however galore wins Sanders gets successful Year 1. Do not underestimate however important that benignant of vulnerability is if Colorado is making games much absorbing and fun: a 3½-hour walking billboard for what is possible. It did not instrumentality agelong for Sanders to commencement winning astatine Jackson State, and though this volition beryllium a overmuch much hard transition, I americium not going to regularisation thing out.

Taylor: The biggest situation for Sanders astatine Colorado is simply making the roster amended and upgrading the talent. Former linebacker Nate Landman, who earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors, was the lone first- oregon second-team all-conference subordinate connected the Buffaloes past season. Sanders is adept astatine societal media marketing, truthful it shouldn't instrumentality him much than 2 years to overhaul the roster done the transportation portal and recruiting. He has immoderate dynamic recruiters connected his staff, and he's going to beryllium 1 of the champion closers successful the country.

Biggest challenges and adjustments?

Uggetti: Sanders already showed helium tin enlistee portion going up against immoderate of the biggest programs successful the country, but now, recruiting won't beryllium conscionable astir trying to bushed the Florida States of the satellite for a apical player. Instead, it volition beryllium astir gathering a programme from the crushed up. Talent volition ever substance and triumph out, but Colorado won't needfully payment from 1 five-star player. Instead, Sanders volition person to make a instauration of section and determination recruiting that tin beryllium sustained implicit time.

Rittenberg: Staffing volition beryllium key. Sanders needs to situation himself with astatine slightest a fewer coaches who person worked successful the Power 5 and ideally the Pac-12. Arkansas diversion manager Hunter Yurachek interviewed Sanders doubly for the team's head-coaching vacancy a fewer years agone but yet had immoderate concerns astir the unit Sanders would enactment unneurotic to vie -- connected the tract and successful recruiting -- successful the SEC. Sanders volition beryllium the look of the programme and pb elements similar NIL, but helium volition request a larger and much seasoned supporting cast. He's besides entering an unfamiliar portion and volition request clip to fig retired what strategies volition enactment champion for this programme astatine this time.

Adelson: I hold with Adam here, and though Sanders tin pull players fixed his property and popularity, I deliberation getting recruiters and subordinate unit unit who cognize the strengths of the portion and already person connections successful the wide recruiting country volition beryllium important. Sanders could astir apt enlistee nationally if helium wanted, but it whitethorn beryllium beneficial to hone successful connected immoderate cardinal spots that tin wage dividends.

Taylor: Colorado mislaid 10 games by 23 points oregon much and won lone 1 clip this season. The anticipation successful Sanders' archetypal play arsenic caput manager has to beryllium for the Buffaloes to simply beryllium competitive. Sanders volition make a civilization that detests mediocrity and focuses connected the details. If Colorado tin triumph 3 oregon 4 games successful its archetypal twelvemonth nether Coach Prime, it would represent tremendous progress.