Deion Sanders as Cowboys HC? Ex-NFL CB gives honest take on teaming up with Jerry Jones
Deion Sanders has no desire or ambition to coach in the NFL, not even for the Jerry Jones-owned Dallas Cowboys, because of his old-school attributes.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback recently told CowboysSI.com’s Bri Amaranthus:
"I have a problem with men getting their checks and not doing their jobs. I would be too tough as a coach in the NFL because I still have those old-school attributes."
In his defense, Sanders' coaching style brought success to the Jackson State Tigers. After taking over the program in 2020, he led the squad to a 4-3 record in the COVID-shortened season.
A year later, the Tigers won the Southwestern Athletic Conference title after compiling an 11-2 record. The Mississippi-based historically black college (HBCU) also won the 2021 Celebration Bowl.
Meanwhile, Deion Sanders won the 2021 Eddie Robinson Award as the NCAA Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision’s best head coach. Jackson State maintained its dominance by finishing with a 12-1 record in Sanders’ final year.
Unfortunately, their success did not parlay into good results in the 2023 NFL Draft. Sanders expressed frustration after Jackson State defensive back Isaiah Bolden was the only HBCU player selected.
Deion Sanders won’t settle for anything less than a head coaching job
Deion Sanders also admitted in the same interview:
"I'm not an assistant coach. That is not me. I am a head coach ... I don't settle for mediocrity whatsoever. You are going to do it this way, we are going to work our butts off, and we are going to be a team. The only thing that is individual about you is the way you play."
The 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1995 to 1999. He won Super Bowl XXX and became a three-time First Team All-Pro member while donning the Cowboys uniform. He also earned four consecutive Pro Bowl selections with Dallas.
Jerry Jones purchased the Cowboys from H.R. Bright for $150 million in 1989, the same year Sanders was drafted fifth overall by the Atlanta Falcons.
In 2022, Sportico ranked the Cowboys as the most valuable NFL franchise, estimated at $7.62 billion.
Meanwhile, Sanders will try to replicate his success at Jackson State with the Colorado Buffaloes. The Pac-12 member last won a conference championship in 2001 while still in the Big 12. They also won the 2016 Pac-12 South, their last division championship.
Deion Sanders will take over a squad that finished with a 1-11 slate last year, their sixth-consecutive losing record. Aside from resurrecting the program, he is also dealing with some health concerns, with his left foot at risk of being amputated.