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Colorado’s football program has hit a rough patch in Deion Sanders’ third year at the helm. After showing real promise with a 9-4 record in 2024 – highlighted by Travis Hunter’s Heisman Trophy win – the Buffaloes have stumbled to a disappointing 3-7 record this season.
The team’s 1-6 conference mark has them sitting near the bottom of the Big 12 standings, eliminating any chance of bowl eligibility. This regression has naturally sparked questions about Coach Prime’s future, especially considering his hefty $10 million annual salary that puts him among college football’s highest-paid coaches.
Athletic Director Rick George isn’t having any of that hot seat talk.
“The seat is not hot,” George wrote on social media Tuesday. “We believe in what is ahead for this program.”
George’s statement came as a direct response to online chatter questioning Sanders’ job security after the coach himself asked fans for patience during this rebuilding process. The timing is interesting — George recently announced he’ll be stepping down from his AD position next year to move into an advisory role, creating some uncertainty about the program’s leadership direction.
Sanders hasn’t shied away from acknowledging the struggles, addressing them head-on with characteristic confidence.
“I want you to understand. If anybody is built for adversity, I am. If anybody is built to change, I am. If anybody’s built to overcome situations and trials and tribulations, I am,” Sanders told reporters Tuesday. “You got the right man. I promise you, you do. And I’m going to prove that to you. Just give me an opportunity and give me a little more time and I’m going to prove that to you. I will.”
The dropoff from last season isn’t entirely shocking. The Buffaloes lost both Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders — Deion’s son — to the NFL, leaving significant talent gaps that have proven difficult to fill.
This patience from the administration stands in stark contrast to the current college football landscape, where several major programs have already fired their coaches mid-season in one of the most aggressive coaching carousels we’ve seen in years.
Colorado’s situation is unique. Despite this year’s struggles, Sanders brought unprecedented attention to a program that had been largely irrelevant nationally before his arrival. TV ratings, merchandise sales, and campus visibility all skyrocketed under his leadership.
George will continue overseeing the athletic department through the end of this school year and seems firmly in Sanders’ corner. The bigger question is whether this support will continue when a new AD takes over next summer.
For now, at least, Coach Prime appears to have the time he’s asking for to right the ship in Boulder.
