Deion Sanders demonstrates reasons for rejecting NFL offers and establishing a Hall of Fame coaching staff at Colorado

Deion Sanders prefers coaching college athletes over the NFL to mentor them beyond football. He’s built a strong Colorado staff, adding Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Warren Sapp to develop players on and off the field.

Deion Sanders stayed committed to Colorado despite reported interest from NFL teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. He had stated he’d only consider the NFL if he could coach his sons, Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders. Shedeur is a top QB prospect for the 2025 draft, projected as a top-five pick, while Shilo is expected to be a late-round selection.
Colorado’s season ended in disappointment with a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl, but their nine wins marked the program’s best season in nearly a decade. However, their bowl game victory drought extended to 21 years.

Despite the loss, Colorado’s top stars,Heisman winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders remain highly regarded, with their draft stock unaffected. With both players heading to the NFL, Deion Sanders faces the challenge of maintaining momentum next season. He’s already making moves, recruiting new talent, and reportedly adding another Hall of Fame coach to his staff to keep Colorado competitive.
Deion Sanders is reshaping his coaching staff, adding Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as Colorado’s new running backs coach. Faulk, a former NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion, and seven-time Pro Bowler, joins fellow Hall of Famer Warren Sapp on Sanders’ staff.
Faulk’s arrival signals a potential shift in Colorado’s offense. With Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter heading to the NFL, Sanders may move away from a pass-heavy attack and focus more on the running game, which has struggled under his leadership. In 2024, Colorado’s running backs combined for just 847 yards and 15 touchdowns, with four of those scores coming from Shedeur. Faulk’s experience and leadership are expected to help strengthen this weak spot and bring more balance to the offense next season.
Marshall Faulk, a Hall of Famer with 12,279 rushing yards in his NFL career, is a major addition to Colorado's coaching staff. Known for his ability to both run and catch, Faulk will be a key figure in developing Colorado's running backs like Isaiah Augustave, Micah Welch, Dallan Hayden, and Drelon Miller.
"Deion is an elevator," Faulk said before the Super Bowl. "He's going to elevate you as a person, and he's going to force you to elevate your life. That's what it does. He lifts people up."

This move fits perfectly with Deion Sanders’ philosophy of bringing in coaches with elite playing experience. Just as Warren Sapp has helped improve the defensive line, Faulk’s presence could have a similar impact on the running back group, potentially transforming the offense and giving it more balance.
Marshall Faulk will earn $400,000 in his first year as Colorado’s running backs coach, with a base salary of $300,000 and an extra $100,000 for community outreach. His salary is expected to rise in his second year, but his real value comes from his experience as both a rusher and receiver, which could bring a new dimension to Colorado’s offense.
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With Faulk joining Warren Sapp under Deion Sanders, Colorado is setting a new standard in college football by bringing in Hall of Fame-level talent to coach. This could pave the way for other former NFL stars to follow suit, as seen with the surprising hiring of Bill Belichick at North Carolina. It could signal a shift in how college football is shaped, with more NFL legends looking to make an impact on the next generation of players.