Colorado athletic director defends Deion Sanders amid team’s lackluster season
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Colorado football’s third season under Deion Sanders has been met with significant negativity. The Buffaloes have lost four of their last five games and enter their Week 11 matchup with West Virginia with a 3-6 record.
Still, Sanders continues to have the support of one of the university’s athletic decision-makers. Colorado athletic director Rick George expressed confidence in the job Coach Prime is doing. George’s only preference was for the team to win more.
“I’m proud of Coach Prime. It’s been a tough year he’s had. He’s been a trooper, he works hard, he motivates. He does the things I ask him to do as a coach. We just have to win more FB games,” George told reporters.
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Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders (left) talks with CU athletic director Rick George after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs 45-42 on September 2, 2023 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. (The Denver Post via Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/Getty Images)
George appeared to be referencing Sanders’ health struggles, a topic that was closely followed leading up to the regular season. In July, Sanders announced Doctors had removed his bladder after the discovery of a tumor. Sanders said there has been no evidence of cancer since the surgery.
DEION SANDERS REVEALS COLORADO’S BIGGEST SURPRISE AT HOME GAMES: ‘IT NEVER FAILS’
Doctors said part of Sanders’ intestine was reconstructed to function as a bladder. Sanders faced questions about whether he would coach after his health problems, but he remained committed to Colorado.
Sanders was named the head coach of the Colorado football program in December 2022. He took over a program that won just one game the previous season. Sanders, a charismatic NFL legend, quickly shed light on a program that had long been an afterthought.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders calls a timeout during the first half of the game against TCU on October 4, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
This season, Sanders routinely faced opposing teams with a significant talent advantage. Koç Prime hasn’t been very successful in recruiting lately. Last year, Colorado jumped to the Big 12 Conference. The Buffaloes won nine games in 2024 but struggled to find a replacement for two-way player Travis Hunter or quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Hunter was the second overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, while Shedeur was selected in the fifth round.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before the game against Utah on October 25, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
Kaidon Salter transferred from the Liberty to Colorado in the offseason, but his uneven performance opened the door for fellow point guard Julian Lewis and others to see playing time.
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Sanders banned players from speaking to the media following the Buffaloes’ 52-17 loss to Arizona last week. Saturday’s Colorado-West Virginia game is scheduled to kick off at noon ET at Milan Puskar Stadium.
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