Colorado AD Rick George who hired Deion Sanders to step down after 11 years

The man who hired Deion Sanders to lead the University of Colorado’s football team is set to step down. 

Colorado athletic director Rick George announced Thursday that he will be leaving his position at the end of the academic year. He will be staying with the university in a fundraising advisory role. 

“After considerable thought and discussions with my family dating back to last spring, I have decided it is time for new leadership to guide the department,” George said in a statement. “I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure a smooth transition. I also wanted to time my announcement so that I could support Coach Prime and our football team this season, which I’m looking forward to continuing in my new role.” 

George has been Colorado’s AD since 2013, and made his biggest move in the position in 2022 when he hired Sanders. Sanders led the Buffaloes to a bowl game appearance in 2024, but will not make a bowl game and finish with a losing record for the second time in three seasons after a loss to West Virginia on Saturday. 

Colorado is 16-19 since Sanders took over, including 3-7 this season.

“This is not who we are. We’re better than this, and they deserve better than this. I want better than this. I feel like I coach better than this. I feel like we got players that are so much better than what the production is that we’re putting out,” Sanders said after Saturday’s loss to West Virginia. 

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“So, then, you got to identify the coaches, that’s us, and that starts with me, because I feel like we got the nucleus inside the locker room that we should be getting it done. I don’t think we played a team that’s this athletically and physically better than us. I really don’t, and I’ll stand on that.”

Last year, Colorado went 9-4, and Sanders signed a five-year, $54 million extension that puts him under contract through 2029.

George expressed confidence in Sanders earlier last week. 

“I’m proud of Coach Prime. It’s been a tough year what he’s been through. He’s been a trooper, been working hard, motivating. He’s doing the things I want him to do as coach. We just gotta win more FB games,” George told reporters.

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In July, Sanders announced doctors had removed his bladder after the discovery of a tumor. 

Sanders said there has been no evidence of cancer since the surge.

Doctors said a section of Sanders’ intestine was reconstructed to function as a bladder. Sanders faced questions about whether he’d be up for coaching after his health scare, but he remains steadfast in his commitment to Colorado.

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