Coach Prime Dazzles, Delights At Opening Press Conference

BOULDER — Less than 24 hours after his arrival, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders is already 1-0 in Boulder.

But Colorado's newly hired football coach didn't just win his introductory press conference Sunday afternoon. Sanders slayed it. He seized the moment, made it his — and took all who watched or listened along for the ride and left them yearning for more.

It was, quite simply, a press conference the likes of which Buffaloes faithful have seldom — if ever — seen in CU history.

Sanders delighted and dazzled a packed house and no doubt did the same to the thousands of folks who tuned in online. He vowed to win, he promised to produce a program that would yield quality young men, he pledged to make education important — and he charmed everyone by deftly mixing moments of swagger with a self-deprecating humility that fairly screamed of success.

But perhaps most importantly, he brought about a renewed sense of hope and confidence to a program that has experienced precious little of either commodity for too many years.

"All you want is the opportunity to win, to compete, to dominate, to be among the elite, to be among the best," Sanders told a crowd that consisted of far more CU supporters than media members. "Darn it, I'm gonna give you that. We're going to outwork 'em. We're going to out-recruit 'em. We're going to develop. We're going to get our education. We're going to graduate these young men … I just want you to know we are on the way. Not to compete but to win, not to show up but to show out, not to be among the rest but to be the absolute best."

Sanders' hiring completed a two-month search by CU Athletic Director Rick George, who spent countless hours researching and vetting potential candidates. His first contact with Sanders came via a short telephone call — and the two quickly struck a connection.

From that point, George began enlisting the support of CU's administration, beginning with president Todd Saliman and chancellor Phillip DiStefano. Both were on board from the early stages and it then became George's task to seal the deal.

He sold Sanders on Colorado, Boulder and the university.

"I've never met somebody that was so profoundly passionate, so caring, that stood on morals," Sanders said. "A God-fearing man, devoted husband who understands the game, understands people, understands life. He will not stop trying to accomplish all that he's set out to accomplish against adversity ... He stopped me in my tracks."

But nothing has ever stopped Sanders for long. The man who simultaneously enjoyed standout careers in Major League Baseball and the NFL continued to coach Jackson State along a path that would produce an unbeaten season and SWAC championship while at the same time carefully studying the possibilities at Colorado.

His strong Christian beliefs played a role in his final decision.

"When I was a player, why would I have to play for five different football teams and four different Major League Baseball teams?" Jackson said. "It's because God took me from place to place and faith to faith and glory to glory, to bring unity, to bring solvency, to bring peace, to bring joy, to bring happiness, to bring love to others. And that's the same reason I'm here now, because he always uses an unlikely person to do an unlikely thing. So I'm ready for the task."

When Sanders took the job at Jackson State three years ago, there were plenty of questions about a man who had never coached at the collegiate level. But after compiling a 27-5 record, those questions have been muted.

Now, he is vowing to do the same for a program that has seen just one winning full season since 2005.

"I want our kids in a relaxed atmosphere and I want them to have fun, but it's hard to have fun when you're not winning," Sanders said. "So we're going to create a winning atmosphere. That's number one. We're going to get young men in here as well as coaches and staffers in here that are committed to excellence, that are committed to winning, that then you don't even fathom the word 'lose.' I love what I do and I do what I love."

When CU announced Sanders' hiring Saturday evening, it set the social media world ablaze. College football media members from coast to coast praised the move and CU fans were ecstatic. A Facebook post officially announcing the hire had reached more than 1.6 million people by Sunday afternoon.

Of course, with that reaction comes sky-high expectations. CU fans on social media were already boldly proclaiming that the Buffs would be competing for championships again soon.

Sanders, to his credit, did nothing to deflect those expectations.

"I'm too blessed to be stressed," he said with a laugh. "I've never been one for peer pressure. I put pressure on my peers … We're going to be good. We're really going to be good. I do not worry … We need to stay together. We need to stay united. We need to continue to believe. It may not happen as quickly as you may desire, but it's going to happen. We're going to win. It's going to happen. I'm not going to put a timetable on it but it's going to happen."

Sanders developed a reputation at Jackson State as a coach who demanded accountability from his players and also required that they become solid representatives of the university in every regard.

He made it clear he plans to create that environment in Boulder.

"These young men are going to be on campus and be respectful and considerate and kind — opening doors for you, making sure everything is copacetic, and they're going to say, 'Yes sir. No sir. Yes ma'am. No ma'm.' Or they're going to have to deal with me. That's just the way I was taught. That's the way I coach. I'm old school. Sometimes I may look like an old fool but I'm just old school."

NEXT BUFFS QB? Sanders' son, Shedeur Sanders, accompanied him on the trip and Coach Prime dropped a strong hint that Shedeur will follow him to Boulder.

Shedeur has had an outstanding career at Jackson State. He has completed 311 of 443 attempts this year for 3,383 yards, 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound star was recruited by a number of high profile programs around the country, but chose to join his father at Jackson State.

Now, he may be headed to Colorado, with two years of eligibility remaining.

"This is your quarterback," Sanders told the crowd. "He's going to have to earn it, though."

TRANSFER IMPROVEMENTS: CU chancellor Philip DiStefano opened the press conference by congratulating George on his work in bringing Sanders to Boulder. He also said Sanders' emphasis on winning football and education made him a great fit for Boulder.

But perhaps most importantly, DiStefano outlined a new program that should help CU attract more student-athletes via the transfer portal.

Currently, it is difficult for some athletes to transfer from another school because too many of their credits won't apply to a degree program at Colorado. But some new guidelines should ease that problem.

"I'm happy to announce that, in coordination with our faculty athletics representatives, we have initiated a pilot program for transfer credit review that facilitates the expedited review of the academic credits from other institutions in order to assess their acceptability at CU Boulder as electives," DiStefano said. "This is not only helpful for student-athletes looking to continue their careers at the University of Colorado via the transfer portal, but also for Colorado residents who are attending another university out of state and want to return home to get their degree. This institutional change, combined with the new Name, Image and Likeness Collective and the student-athlete resources we already have in place, will help provide the tools that are necessary for all of our athletic programs, including football, to succeed."