Deion Sanders is one of the most intriguing names in the college football coaching carousel and he’s reportedly down to three choices.
The biggest personality in college football has been coaching in FCS for the last three years. It sees it’s time for him to move on up to FBS or, if you will, prime time.
Deion Sanders coached Jackson State to 11 wins again in 2022 after going 11-2 in 2021. His success at the HBCU opened the door for him to look at jobs around the country.
Now he apparently has it whittled down to three very different choices.
Deion Sanders reportedly down to Colorado, Cincinnati and USF
According to Kevin O’Donnell of WTVT Fox13, Sanders has told recruits that he will have a decision about a new job by Sunday.
“Decision appears to be down to Colorado, Cincinnati and USF,” O’Donnell tweeted.
Colorado is the only current Power 5 program on that list but Cincinnati is joining the Big 12 at the start of next year, so technically Sanders has two P5 options. USF is in the American Athletic Conference.
The pros and cons of each program are interesting.
Colorado has a rich history of football success but they’ve fallen on hard times. It’s tough to imagine Sanders recruiting players to Boulder the way he’s managed coaching in the south. At the same time, USC and UCLA leaving the Pac-12 will create opportunities for teams like the Buffaloes to rise quickly.
Cincinnati has been incredibly successful under Luke Fickell. It wouldn’t take a rebuild to find success with the Bearcats, who could also benefit from Texas and Oklahoma leaving for the SEC. Ohio is not a familiar recruiting ground for Sanders though and expectations will be high considering the current strength of the program Fickell is leaving behind.
USF is not a Power 5 program, so Sanders won’t find that kind of prestige there. However, the Bulls are a more obvious fit for Prime, who is from Florida and has spent much of his football life in the south. USF could be a stepping stone to bigger opportunities.
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