Colorado head coach Deion Sanders in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Deion Sanders was a two-time Super Bowl Champion, an NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a Hall of Famer on the field. Now, Sanders is doing more off the field and on the sidelines as Colorado’s head coach.

Sanders made a lot of noise three years ago when he jumped from the HBCU level at Jackson State to Colorado, up to the Power Four level. Sanders, who likes to go by Coach Prime, completely used the modern age of college football to his advantage with the transfer portal and NIL.

Sanders used the portal in his first year to bring Heisman Trophy winner and second overall NFL Draft pick Travis Hunter, and his son, quarterback Sheduer Sanders, with him. Sanders walked into the Colorado team room and famously said that he’s bringing his “luggage” with him. He preferred most of the roster to hit the portal because they were going to be replaced.

Then, there’s his use of NIL through recruiting. Colorado hasn’t been known recently as a football school, but Sanders made it his mission to make Boulder a destination. He had recruits posing with Lamborghinis and brought in rappers, like BigXthaPlug, to bring in talent.

His style was unorthodox for the veterans of the sport, but it worked. In his second season and first in the Big 12, Sanders had the Buffaloes at 9-3 and was ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll at one point.

With his hat and reflective shades, and his viral press conferences, Coach Prime was the talk of college football last year.

Rich Rodriguez has only met Sanders a couple times before they’ll meet against each other before and after West Virginia’s game on Saturday.

“I’ve only met him, I think, once,” Rodriguez said. “I talked to him a long time ago when he was kind of a mentor to Noel Devine way back in the day. Both from Fort Myers.”

Devine developed into one of the best running backs in WVU history while Rodriguez was at Morgantown the first time. He’s WVU’s career all-purpose yardage leader (5,761 yards) and was a three-year starter.

“Other than that, just met him at the Big 12 Media Day and stuff,” Rodriguez said. “They may have had a couple tough games, but if you look at where the program was when they got there a couple years ago, and the profile they’re at right now, he’s done an amazing job to get Colorado to that level.”

Saturday will mark the first time Sanders will coach in Morgantown. WVU didn’t play the Buffaloes last year, and the year before that, they were in the Pac-12.

Before even facing off, Sanders talked about how much respect he has for Rodriguez.

“Coach Rodriguez is a coaching legend,” Sanders said. “I respect the heck out of him. Another chance at the coaching realm, and he’s coaching with vengeance. Big East, Pac-12, Conference USA Coach of the Year, he is a coaching legend to me. I love the passion and tenacity and mental and physical toughness that he coaches with that he aims at.”

Sanders knows the Saturday game will be tough. Both teams have a similar record of 3-6, each has one Big 12 win, and both are expected to start a true freshman quarterback. If Coach Prime didn’t already bring entertainment, this game should be full of it.”

“West Virginia, tough team, but fighting back,” Sanders said. “Started off rough. Now they are playing the type of ball their coach is desiring them to play… I’m proud of them, but we got our work cut out for us.”