Jackson State Tigers head football coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has shaken up the college football world the past 18 months. His ability to build Jackson State’s program and be a leader of young men has been on full display since his arrival on the Mississippi campus.
With the type of success he’s having already, it was just a matter of time before questions about his possible departure would begin to fester. Deion dealt with rumors of his departure all of last season. The more JSU won the more interest Coach Prime received. Whether it was a Power 5, Group of Five or NFL team, Deion’s name was mentioned.
Sanders, who never once tried to sugarcoat or mince his words for anyone, had this to say in an interview with “Thee Pregame Show.”
“I’m happy where I am. It’s a calling where I am. God didn’t give me a timetable. He said, you’ve got to go be there for how long. He told me to do what, he asked me to do as do it at a high level.
“Now I don’t have a timetable for any of that, so I’m not going to tell anybody the timetable. I don’t know. God hasn’t given me the timetable for those instructions, but what I do concern myself with is my coaching staff. I feel like I have a phenomenal coaching staff and they’re coaching their butts off. I’m trying to find ways to compensate them even more because they’ve out-coached their salaries.
“Say I took a job at a Power 5. That does not change my lifestyle. That’s doesn’t do nothing for me I’m good. God has sustained me. I’m good. But it does for them. So I’m trying to things to create more revenue at an HBCU so that I can stabilize my guys.”
Sanders Reportedly Interviewed For Power 5 Jobs While Hospitalized: No Interest In The Pros At All
Sanders has been an open book about bigger programs inquiring about his services. The reigning Eddie Robinson Award winner, (top coach in Football Championship Subdivision or FCS) talked about that in an interview with Dan Le Batard on his show.
“I interviewed for three Power Five jobs. I should’ve got ‘em. I was very, very, very good, I may say, in the interviews. In one of the interviews, I was so darn good, the guy asked when I could start. When can you really start? I told him when it was possible and they went in another direction. I wasn’t upset. That just means that God needed me to continue to be at Jackson State.”
Sanders also let Le Batard know he has no interest in coaching pros. Although Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and TSU head coach Eddie George gave him a ringing endorsement as the next Dallas Cowboys head coach.
Eddie George agrees with Shaq, Deion Sanders should be Dallas Cowboys head coach. https://t.co/gmGGBERaRG pic.twitter.com/3IO6hKZlB6
— The Shadow League (@ShadowLeague) February 2, 2022
“I don’t know about that one, my man. I don’t want to coach pros. I’m not a pro guy. I don’t have patience for rich guys with problems. I don’t have patience for rich guys that don’t want to stay rich and continue to earn a check.”
Deion Is Adamant About Looking Out For His Staff: He Speaks Highly Of His Guys Often
Sanders believes in the betterment of his entire staff. His ability to communicate and connect with people is second-to-none, and that makes him such a believable and powerful force in the sports realm.
The favorable view is that Deion is telling the truth, that he's but a humble servant of God.
The cynical view is that he's cynically building himself a forcefield for when he inevitably leaves Jackson State.https://t.co/zq5l81XZlR
— Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) March 16, 2022
Most believe Sanders will someday become the head coach of a Power Five job (FSU his alma mater comes to mind). As of now, Sanders is locked in on making JSU a destination program, while also continuing to bring the much-needed visibility, exposure and revenue to Black college football.
JSU And Sanders Had A Banner Year In 2021
It’s no surprise that Coach Prime has been successful so quickly. When you work as hard as he does it’s bound to happen. Combine a great recruiting class with an 11-win season — then add in all the off-the-field wins, such as endorsement deals and sponsorships with Barstool Sports, Pepsi and Under Armour — and you see why it was a banner year in Jackson, Mississippi and HBCU football.
But as Coach Prime says, he’s not satisfied until he’s DOMINATING everything. And for the 100th time he reaffirms his commitment to building up the entire HBCU Football culture.
