Colorado’s Deion Sanders explains aversion to coaching in NFL

Deion Sanders spent nearly a decade and a half playing in the NFL, winning two Super Bowls along the way. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. 

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current NFL analyst Troy Aikman joined Sanders for a recent edition of Sanders’ show, “We Got Time Today,” which streams on Tubi. 

At one point during the wide-ranging conversation, the pair of former Cowboys stars discussed the possibility of Sanders one day returning to professional football.

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Despite his familiarity with the pros, Sanders pointed to the NFL’s modern-day practice style when he revealed what would prevent him from taking a coaching job with any of the league’s 32 franchises. 

“That’s the way we practiced,” Sanders said. “I know it’s cute, but I couldn’t coach pro ball. The way they practice, the way they go about it, I couldn’t take it — as a man, and as a football enthusiast. I care about the game. … There’s no way I could allow that to happen on my watch. That would be tough.”

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Sanders became a media star once he he ended his career. But in recent years, Sanders has focused on coaching at the collegiate level. After a successful three-season run at Jackson State, Sanders took the job at the University of Colorado. 

The Buffaloes improved under Sanders in 2024, and the success added fuel to the idea Sanders could soon leave college football for the NFL.

This isn’t the first time Sanders has dismissed the suggestion he would make the leap to the NFL. In 2022, he told “60 Minutes” he “couldn’t coach” at the pro level.

“I couldn’t coach pro ball,” he explained. “It’s not just about fame or money. It’s about the love of the game. The way things are done now, I couldn’t accept it. It would be hard for me to let that happen under my watch.”

During an appearance on “Good Morning America” last month, Sanders was once again asked about his NFL coaching prospects.

“The only way I would consider is to coach my sons,” Sanders said. “Not son. Sons.”

The Cowboys parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy in January. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed he had a conversation with Sanders during the franchise’s search for its next head coach. Dallas ultimately hired Brian Schottenheimer, but Aikman said it would “make a lot of sense” for Sanders to lead the Cowboys.

“I was asked a lot of questions about how do you think Deion would do?” Aikman recounted. “I said, ‘I think Deion would do great.’ There are a small handful of people that I know that I just simply would not bet against. And Deion is one of those handful of people. He’s proven it at every stop. He’d be successful in the NFL.”

Aikman said he understood how Sanders could make more of an impact at the college level.

“You’re not impressing upon young men the way that you are in college, but to suggest that he wouldn’t be good at it or successful at it, I don’t think people really know Deion’s story. I think that, for Dallas, Deion would’ve been a really good fit because he would’ve commanded the room. 

“His personality is such that people would’ve known he was in charge. I think that’s important for any organization to know that the head coach is the one who’s calling the shots and he’s in charge.”

Aikman and Sanders played for the Cowboys when the team won the 1996 Super Bowl.

Sanders coached Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and sons Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders during his first two seasons at Colorado. He also coached the trio at Jackson State. All three are pursuing pro football careers, with Shedeur and Hunter expected to be first-round picks in April’s NFL Draft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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