Every time a Power Five head football coaching position becomes available, the name Deion Sanders seems to be in the mix or at the forefront as a potential hire.
While he’s made it clear he’s got more work to do at Jackson State, the reigning Eddie Robinson award winner is still a prime target and for many reasons. During Sunday’s “Big Noon Kickoff” show on Fox, renowned college football analyst Bruce Feldman talked about the interest Sanders is garnering from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets after the firing of head coach Geoff Collins, who went a dismal 10-28 overall and 7-19 in the ACC during his tenure.
Feldman had this to say about Sanders …..
“With Georgia Tech’s job coming open this week, Deion is a name to watch. You’re talking about a guy who was a big star with the Atlanta Falcons and Braves, and he would make that program immediately relevant nationally and pump a lot of much-needed life into that place. He is 19-5 at a program like Jackson State that hadn’t had a winning season in eight years prior to his arrival. But here’s the question for him and anybody else who’s looking at that job, is just how committed to football is Georgia Tech?”
Sanders has gone 19-5 with a SWAC championship, and is 4-0 this season, while thoroughly dominating opponents. The belief is, however, he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Sanders Says Being Mentioned Is Nice
The Tigers are on a bye this week, and Sanders had time to stop by “The Rich Eisen Show,” and give his take on the noise.
“It is nice to be mentioned for the job. It’s even nice to be — you said a guy can come from HBCUs and coach at a higher level, but a quarterback shouldn’t be considered at the next level. I don’t know how that works … if I were to go to the next level, you don’t think the quarterback is going to the next level? …
What I’m saying is that it is just funny you say I’m good enough and my name is being tossed and hit around like a fastball to Aaron Judge.”
If he would go, Sanders is letting it be known his son Shedeur would come with him.
The allure of coaching back where he played for the majority of his professional career is definitely something to think about. But as Feldman stated, pursuing a Coach Prime depends on how serious the Yellow Jackets brass is about fixing a now-dormant football program.
Yes, Sanders would immediately bring life to the program, but the decision-makers and powers that be would have to be willing to do the things needed to bring the listless program to life.
"You're going to hear the name Deion Sanders… They believe in bringing Deion in and letting him do at Georgia Tech what Pittman's done at Arkansas."@LateKickJosh explains why you shouldn't laugh at the idea of Prime Time at Georgia Tech. @TheHiveGT pic.twitter.com/YVjSQKnt3U
— 247Sports (@247Sports) September 21, 2022
Sanders is also building a juggernaut at Jackson State that has become the darlings of FCS football in a little over two seasons. Three of his children are student-athletes and the other two work for the football program in various roles.
CBS Sports analyst Dennis Dodd has Sanders‘ name very high on a short list of candidates that include Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell.
Feldman Also Talks Sanders To Auburn
Auburn Tigers head coach Brian Harsin is on arguably the hottest seat in college football and Feldman even mentioned he’s hearing Auburn may target Sanders.
“You’re talking about a guy who’s in all these commercials with Nick Saban that you’re seeing every week. You’re talking about a guy who showed his recruiting prowess last year by beating everybody — everybody, including Nick Saban — for the No. 1 recruit in the country, Travis Hunter to get him to go to an FCS program. And as one coach told me this week, good luck to the guy who has to do the in-home recruiting visit before or after Deion Sanders does this.”
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