Deion Sanders is no stranger to attention for he is a lightning rod for it-deserved, unwarranted and self-generated.
When he was given the head coaching position at Jackson St. in September of 2020, the reactions were swift. Some supported the decision while others called him unqualified. Some felt it was the shot in the arm both Jackson St and HBCU football needed; others felt it was a publicity stunt.
In his first season, which took place in spring 2021 due to Covid, Coach Prime went 4-3. That fall, he led the team to an 11-2 record, an incredible turnaround from the 2019 4-8 season by the Tigers prior to his arrival in Mississippi.
Then he upset college football traditionalists by landing top recruits Travis Hunter and Kevin Coleman, who tore into their decisions to play at an HBCU instead of an FBS program, exposing their ignorance about HBCU football history.
He also ticked off HBCU football fans by pulling out of the Southern Heritage Classic over the lack of financial benefits for the program.
In between, he fought to bring better resources to his program, helped his athletes secure clean water and facilities during the city’s water crisis, brought ESPN College GameDay to campus, set an FCS attendance record of 42,000 for a home game, and helped attract new sponsors for the athletic program due to his personality and success.
Then, in December 2022, after leading the program to a 12-1 record and two consecutive SWAC titles and Celebration Bowl appearances, he agreed to a five-year, $29.5 million contract and became the new head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, which ignited another storm of reactions.
But the aftermath was the same.
Boulder, CO became the media center of the college football universe, and fans, celebrities and the curious all flocked to the city to see what Coach Prime could do.
