To begin any commentary on Hall of Famer Deion Sanders without a simple congratulations, would be disrespect. Congratulations to the SWAC Champion Jackson State University Tigers and Coach Prime for an amazing season. To understand the significance of such a feat, one would have to travel in time to the 2019 season, prior to Coach Prime’s arrival. The Tigers went 4-8 in play, with a 3-4 record in conference. Not horrible numbers, but definitely not what the Jackson State Alumni had in mind.
With the 2020 season postponed due to Covid19, the shortened slate of games were played in the spring of 2021, with newly installed coach, “Coach Prime”, Deion Sanders. The Tigers showed immediate improvement with a winning record of 4-3, going 3-2 in the SWAC. From the 2020 season, the Jackson State University Tigers would go on to lose just two games in the 2021 season, and go undefeated in 2022 to capture the SWAC East Division and second consecutive SWAC Championship. Coach Prime (Deion Sanders) would subsequently be named SWAC Coach of the Year in both 2021 and 2022, receiving the Eddie Robinson Award for the 2021 season.
Coach Prime held a team meeting on Saturday after their resounding win over Southern 43-24 to claim the 2022 SWAC Championship. In the meeting, Coach Prime told his players that he indeed had accepted the opportunity to take the Head Coach position for the University of Colorado. Coach Prime went on to explain that one must seize opportunities, because the coaching carousel only yields two results. Coach Prime told the players that he would finish what he started, and coach the Celebration Bowl in two weeks against North Carolina Central before making his departure.
Coach Prime will have his work cut out for him. The University of Colorado football program has been quite dismal in recent years. The 2022 would result in the same, going 1-11 and last place in the PAC-12. The University of Colorado AD Rick George hopes that Coach Prime will not only energize the fan base, but lead the program back to national prominence and recognition that led to the 1990 National Championship.
After firing Coach Karl Dorrell in October after a 0-5 start, offensive coordinator Mike Stanford took the reins as the interim coach to finish the 2022 season. With the announcement of Coach Deion “Prime” Sanders, the fan base has been rejuvenated. Across social media platforms, the outpouring of support and respect for both Coach Prime and the program for the decision has been positive. At JSU, Coach Prime was able to recruit some of the nation’s top prospects. In 2022, Jackson State University landed the #1 player in the nation, cornerback Travis Hunter, which turned heads due to the power-5 offers he had on the table.
Coach Prime notoriety and winning pedigree should fare well in the Pac-12. With the Pac-12 going through a transition, both USC and UCLA bolting for the Big Ten in 2024, the recruiting landscape will definitely take on a facelift. Without UCLA and USC, the conference loses some of its star power. The Pac-12 hasn’t seen the glitz and glamor since the Pete Carrol’s USC days and no team has made the playoffs since Washington in 2017. With many of the Pac-12 teams playing in markets that lack Major media viability, it is hoped that Coach Prime’s Buffaloes’ can help bring back some of the excitement to the conference. From what we can tell, Boulder is already buzzing with the “Championship Spirit”.
As far as HBCU programs, what Coach Prime was able to accomplish at Jackson State University is a beacon for other institutions, not only in the SWAC, but for every HBCU program. But, that is something we already knew; however, Coach Prime was able to use his notoriety and stature to discuss and bring dialogue to the disparities. The Jackson State University Tigers proved that HBCU programs could compete and excel if given the resources as their FBS counterparts.
Good Luck Coach Prime – Deion Sanders on your Journey~
