Never in a million years would I think I would be talking about the Dallas Cowboys here, but thanks to recent events, I don’t have much of a choice.
Earlier this week, the Dallas Cowboys announced that they and head coach Mike McCarthy would part ways after five seasons. McCarthy finished with a 50-38 record in Dallas, including a 1-3 mark in the playoffs. Simply put, owner Jerry Jones wasn’t happy with that, and I don’t blame him.
Now I know what you are thinking. What in the world does the Dallas Cowboys job opening have to do with the Big 12? Well, it’s important because Colorado head coach Deion Sanders appears to have emerged as a serious candidate for the position.
Before his time as a head coach, Sanders played five seasons of his Hall of Fame career for the Cowboys, helping the team win Super Bowl XXX in 1996. Even after his historic playing career was over, he remained in the Dallas area and has maintained a close relationship with the Jones family.
On Monday night, Adam Schefter confirmed that Jones and Sanders had spoken about the opening and that their talks will continue. Not long after that, Sanders told ESPN, “To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing. I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”
Deion started his college coaching career at Jackson State, where he had a 27-6 overall record in three seasons, including an impressive 19-2 record in conference play along with two conference titles. He also signed the number one high school player in the country in 2022 with Travis Hunter, who eventually went on to win the Heisman Trophy at Colorado this past season.
Speaking of Colorado, that is where Deion has been over the last two years. Before his arrival, the Buffaloes finished with a 1-11 record and hadn’t won more than five games in a season since 2016. It took Sanders less than two seasons to break that streak when he won nine games this past season and seven of those came in Big 12 play.
Deion assembled an all-star coaching staff and, in no time, turned things around in Boulder. He brought attention to the program on a national level and put more asses in the seats than anyone else in Colorado football history. To say he rebuilt the program there would be an understatement. He is the program and what you see is what you get. A man who can relate to young men and inspire them to do great things.
So why would Deion want to leave? Well, both of his sons have finished their final year of college football. He was emotional during the Alamo Bowl because he realized that it would likely be the last time he walked out of the tunnel with both of his kids.
Many people, including myself, were skeptical, and more often than not, we were proved wrong. In just five seasons, he turned two programs around and brought more attention than anyone could ever imagine. And let’s be honest here. Deion Sanders has nothing left to prove to the game of college football as a head coach.
Don’t get me wrong, I would be sad to see Deion leave Colorado. We live in a world where the SEC and Big Ten steal all the national headlines while the Big 12 is little more than an afterthought. Deion may have just coached one year in the Big 12, but what a year it was. He helped the conference draw eyeballs from every corner of the country and was must-watch TV. If Deion Sanders wants to chase his dreams and coach in the NFL, then so be it. I can’t hate a man for chasing his dream, nor should you.
