Deion Sanders Coaching Staff: A look into Coach Prime's assistant coaches and Colorado Buffaloes management
After going 2-0 to start the 2023 college football season, the No. 18 Colorado Buffaloes are flourishing under Deion Sanders. Coach Prime has made at least an early conference title contender of these revamped Buffs, and part of that success can be attributed to the kind of help Sanders brought along with him.
That said, who are the members of Deion Sanders' coaching staff? Here's a quick look at everyone leading the team and ensuring it's going where it should be. Read on!
Deion Sanders' coaching staff at a glance
We will be separating each member of Deion Sanders' Colorado coaching staff according to the roles they fulfill in the organization.
Offensive coordinator/QB coach: Sean Lewis
Sean Lewis comes from a five-year stint at Kent State. He also held several assistant roles at Bowling Green, Nebraska-Omaha, Akron and Syracuse. As of late, his efforts have led the Buffs to average over 40 PPG and 1,019 yards of total offense (via CUBuffs).
Lewis is one of two members of Sanders' staff who are set to earn a massive $850,000 this year.
Defensive coordinator/Safeties coach: Charles Kelly
Charles Kelly is the second of the highest-earning Colorado coaching staff members alongside Lewis. He boasts 35 years of coaching experience, including four years at Alabama under the legendary Nick Saban.
Assistant head coach/Running backs coach: Gary "Flea" Harrell
Gary Harrell's experience also saw him spending two seasons at Jackson State under Coach Prime. He's among the numerous staffers and players Sanders brought to Boulder. Harrell also played two NFL seasons with the New York Giants.
Wide receivers coach: Brett Bartolone
Like Harrell, Brett Bartolone also comes from Jackson State during Deion Sanders' time there. He was the team's offensive coordinator then, and his current role is coaching the receiving corps for the Buffs.
Tight ends coach: Tim Brewster
Another former member of Deion Sanders' coaching staff at Jackson State, Tim Brewster's experience is as extensive as anyone's in college football history. He's been the head coach at Minnesota for four seasons (07-10) and also coached tight ends for UNC, Texas, Florida State, Florida and Texas A&M.
He also has experience coaching tight ends in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers.
Linebackers coach: Andre' Hart
Andre' Hart is another of Sanders' old JSU staff. He was instrumental in the young career of Jackson State linebacker Aubrey Miller, who was named the 2022 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. So far, Hart's efforts on the defensive end have the Buffs only allowing 28 PPG on average.
Cornerbacks coach: Kevin Mathis
By now, you would expect a lot of other members of Deion Sanders' coaching staff to come with him to Boulder from Jackson State. But Kevin Mathis met Coach Prime in 1997, back when they were both NFL pros.
Director of defensive quality control: Dennis Thurman
Working closely with Mathis and Hart, Dennis Thurman was instrumental in helping JSU turn its defense around last year. He is a former defensive backs coach for USC and also has experience at the pro level with the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.
Offensive line coach: Bill O'Boyle
Bill O'Boyle's experience had him serve five seasons at Kent State under Sean Lewis. He also had stops at South Dakota, Southern Illinois, Colorado Mesa and D2 team Chadron State, among many others.
Defensive tackles coach: Sal Sunseri
Sal Sunseri is one of the recent additions to Deion Sanders' coaching staff. He was signed back in March this year, coming off three seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Defensive ends coach: Nick Williams
Before joining Deion Sanders' coaching staff at Colorado, Nick Williams served as a top recruiter for Georgia. He also served as a defensive analyst for the Texas A&M Aggies after his time with the Bulldogs.
Williams is well-known for his recruiting prowess, having taken Georgia to have the No. 1-ranked recruiting classes in 2018 and 2020.